BOLENGE 


A  Story  of  Gospel  Triumphs 
on  the  Congo  ^  ^  j^  ^  ^ 


MRS.  ROYAL  J.  DYE 


tihvavy  of  trhe  Cheolojical  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


-ai^t- 


PRESENTED  BY 


Delavan  L.  Pierson 

BV  3625  .C6  D9  1909 
Dye,  Eva  May,  1877- 
Bolenge 


^V*1  Of  P87^ 

.^_2£P   ''M951 


B  OLEN  GE 


A  Story  of  Gospel  Triumphs 
ON  THE   Congo 


By 


y 


MRS.  ROYAL  J.   DYE 


FOREIGN  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARY 
SOCIETY 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY  THS 
FOREIGN  CHRISTIAN 
MISSIONARY    SOCIETY 


FOREWORD 


BoLENGE  has  become  a  household  word  among  the 
Disciples  of  Christ.  In  ten  years  one  of  the  greatest 
churches  in  the  world  has  been  built  up  at  that  place 
out  of  the  most  unpromising  materials.  There  has 
been  a  widespread  demand  for  the  publication  of  the 
facts  relating  to  the  Bolenge  church.  It  was  in  re- 
sponse to  that  demand  that  this  book  has  been  written. 
It  is  believed  that  Christ  will  be  greatly  honored  and 
the  faith  of  many  of  His  followers  greatly  strengthened 
by  its  publication. 

Mrs.  Eoyal  J.  Dye,  the  author,  has  spent  two  terms 
of  missionary  service  on  the  Congo,  She  has  had  per- 
sonal knowledge  of  the  work  there  almost  from  the 
beginning.  Because  of  the  condition  of  her  health  she 
was  unable  to  return  with  her  husband  on  his  third 
term  of  service.  While  at  home  she  has  assisted  the 
work  by  writing  this  book. 

The  reader  will  find  it  a  mine  of  information  about 
conditions  in  Central  Africa.  Any  one  who  will  read 
the  first  chapter  will  want  to  read  every  line  of  the 
book,  and  will  want  to  read  everything  else  that  he  can 
find  on  the  same  subject.  God  is  doing  marvelous 
things  on  the  Congo;  things  that  all  intelligent  people 
will  find  worth  knowing. 

3 


4  Foreword 

It  is  reported  that  a  popular  magazine  pays  ex- 
President  Eoosevelt  one  dollar  for  every  word  he  writes 
about  his  hunting  trip  in  Africa.  Ex-President  Eoose- 
velt is  an  interesting  man,  but  he  has  nothing  to  com- 
pare in  value  with  the  contents  of  Mrs.  Dye's  book. 
The  accounts  of  the  Arctic  experiences  and  discoveries 
of  Dr.  Cook  and  Commander  Peary  are  of  much  less 
significance  to  the  Kingdom  than  this  volume.  "Bo- 
lenge"  is  a  book  to  be  read  and  studied.  It  is  a  book 
that  will  call  out  Joyful  thanksgiving  from  every  one 
who  is  interested  in  the  progress  of  the  gospel. 

Archibald  McLean. 
Cincinnati,  September  11,  1909. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

Foreword, 3,  4 

I.   Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  Equator,      9 
II.   Beautiful  and  Busy  Bolenge,  -    19 

III.  People  Devoid  of  Shame,       -        -         24 

IV.  Condition  of  Congo  Women,     -        -    34 
V.   Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People,     44 

VI.  A  Search  for  Words,  -        -        -    53 

VII.  The  Evangel  of  Medicine,   -        -         60 

VIII.  The  Gospel  Through  the  Day  School,    71 

IX.  The  Gospel  Through  Industry,    -         78 

X.  Enlargement, 86 

XI.  Emancipated  Womanhood,     -        -         93 

XII.  Itinerating    Through    Swamp    and 

Jungle, 102 

XIII.  A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism,      -  111 

XIV.  Joseph  and  Lonkoko,     -        -        -       123 
XV.  Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy,  -        -  133 

XVI.     LOKANGE,  the  CONVERTED  TaX  GATH- 
ERER,   143 

XVII.   A  Wonderful  Christmas,       -        -       149 

5 


Contents 

XVIII.   An  Apostolic  Church,        -        -  -  155 

XIX.   Sunshine  and  Showers,         -  -       161 

XX.    Onward,  Forward,     -        -        .  .  172 

XXI.   Why  We  Love  Them,      -        -  -       180 

XXII,    Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects,  184 

XXIII.    Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts,  -       196 

APPENDIX. 

Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenqe,  -       209 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Facing  Page 

Map  of  Africa,          -        -        -"       -        -  -    16 

BoLENGE  Station-  Scenes,     -        -        -        -  22 

Procession  of  Heathen  Women,     -        -  -    38 

Congo  Curios,       ....-_  48 

An  African  Witch-Doctor,    -        -        -  -    64 

Native  Industries, 80 

Plot  of  Bolenge  Station",        -        -        -  -    88 

Before  and  After  the  Gospel,  -        -        -  96 

All  Aboard  for  a  Long  Itinerate,        -  -  106 

Saved  to  Serve, 118 

Joseph  and  Bonjolongo,          ....  128 

Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy,    ...  138 

Baptizing  in  the  Congo,         .        .        _  .  152 

Class  of  Sixty-four  Converts,   ...  158 

A  Stalwart  Messenger,           ....  i64 

The  Land  to  be  Possessed,          -        -        -  174 

The  New  Mission  Steamer,      ...  -  178 

Native  Buildings, 198 

Our  Workers  on  the  Congo,  .        -        -  -  216 


Bolenge;  A  Story  of  Gospel 
Triumphs  on  the  Congo 


CHAPTER   I 
Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  IIquator 

"Believe?  Yes,  I  do  believe  that  we  shall  all 
emerge  into  light  again  sometime.  It  is  true  that  our 
prospects  are  as  dark  as  this  night.  Though  I  love  life 
as  much  as  you  do,  or  any  other  man  does,  yet  on  the 
success  of  this  effort  I  am  about  to  stake  my  life,  my 
all." 

These  words  were  addressed  to  a  companion  by 
Stanley,  December  27,  1876,  as  he  was  starting  on  the 
long  and  perilous  journey,  seeking  to  trace  the  great 
river  on  which  they  had  embarked,  from  its  sources 
to  its  mouth.  His  flotilla  consisted  of  twenty-three 
canoes  with  their  burden  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  people. 

Because  of  the  northerly  trend  of  the  river  they 
were  uncertain  whether  it  was  the  Congo,  the  Nile,  or 
an  aflfluent  of  one  of  these.  The  morning  was  typical, 
that  on  which  they  set  forth  from  Vinya-Njara.  A 
dense,  gray  mist  obscured  even  the  palmy  banks  of  the 

9 


10  Bolenge 

river.  Little  by  little  the  mists  lifted  and  the  sun  ap- 
peared, transforming  all  the  face  of  nature.  Even  so 
the  Sun  of  Eighteousness  is  now  lifting  the  heavy  mists 
of  superstition  and  pouring  into  the  deepest  and  darkest 
recesses  of  this  mighty  river  His  transforming  light. 

For  days  and  months  this  intrepid  explorer  braved 
dangers  from  the  quick,  tropical  storms  on  the  Living- 
stone, as  he  called  the  unknown  river.  He  faced 
dangers  from  starvation  and  from  fierce  tribes  inhab- 
iting the  dense  forests,  that  like  an  impenetrable  bar- 
rier rise  on  either  side  of  the  river.  Several  canoes 
and  many  lives  were  lost  in  sudden  fights  with  can- 
nibal tribes.  In  spite  of  all  obstacles,  however,  the 
expedition  pressed  forward  and  early  in  February,  1877, 
Stanley  verified  his  conviction  that  the  "unknown  river" 
was  the  Congo  itself. 

Nearing  the  equator,  where  now  is  situated  "Beau- 
tiful Bolenge,"  they  had  been  for  days  unable  to  pur- 
chase food.  The  aborigines  had  been  so  hostile  that 
even  from  their  fishing  canoes  they  had  fired  at  them. 
At  last  Stanley's  men  in  despair  exclaimed:  "What 
shall  we  do?  What  will  be  the  end  of  all  this? 
Whither,  0  whither  are  we  going?  God  alone  knows 
how  we  shall  prosper  below." 

February  19th  they  discovered  an  enormous  river 
more  than  a  thousand  yards  wide,  with  a  strong  cur- 
rent. This  stream  refused  to  mingle  with  the  Congo; 
the  meeting  of  the  two  waters  being  plainly  marked 
by  a  zigzag  ripple.  This  was  the  largest  tributary  yet 
discovered,  and  proved  to  be  the  Bosira.  In  1909,  more 
than  thirty  years  later,  the  first  mission  station  on  this 
river  was  opened.    It  is  located  at  Longa,  one  hundred 


Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  Equator     11 

miles  from  the  river's  mouth.  From  this  new  outpost 
the  light  is  streaming  for  another  two  hundred  miles 
up  the  great  navigable  branches  of  the  Bosira.  Beyond 
this  the  mist  still  hangs,  low  and  impenetrable  as  a 
curtain,  behind  which  all  is  darkness.  Occasional  trips 
are  made  by  trading  or  Government  steamers  into  this 
darkness.  These  go,  not  to  carry  light  but  to  bring  forth 
out  of  the  dense  forests  their  cargoes  of  rubber,  ivory, 
gum  copal,  and  such  rare  products  as  are  demanded  by 
civilization.  And  these  traders  halt  not  in  their  quest. 
They  go  even  at  the  price  of  their  own  life  and  the  life 
of  the  natives. 

Stanley,  on  that  memorable  journey,  after  passing 
the  mouth  of  the  Bosira,  or  Ikelemba,  as  he  called  it, 
paddled  on  past  the  site  of  Bolenge  to  a  point  on 
an  island  in  the  river.  This  island  was  opposite  Ikengo, 
a  village  near  Bolenge.  From  this  village  the  natives 
came  across  to  him.  They  became  most  friendly,  seal- 
ing their  friendship  with  all  traditional  ceremony  in 
blood,  thus  making  a  blood  brotherhood,  which  is  in- 
violable. Here  they  begged  him  for  his  note  book 
which  appeared  most  wonderful  to  them.  Stanley  says : 
"During  the  whole  of  this  day  life  was  most  enjoy- 
able, intercourse  unreservedly  friendly,  and  though  most 
of  the  people  were  armed  with  guns  there  was  no  mani- 
festation of  the  least  desire  to  be  uncivil,  rude,  or  hos- 
tile, which  inspired  us  once  more  with  a  feeling  of 
security,  to  which  we  had  been  strangers  since  leaving 
Urangi  two  months  before."  As  Stanley  left  Ikengo 
several  canoes  escorted  him  some  distance,  with  many 
demonstrations  of  friendship.  This  was  in  marked 
contrast  to   the   ferocity  encountered   soon   afterward 


12  Bolenge 

farther  down  the  river.  This  experience  held  a  fore- 
cast of  the  future,  as  we  trace  the  remarkable  recep- 
tivity of  that  people  to  the  Gospel  message.  Fierce  and 
warlike  they  certainly  were  and  still  are  in  the  dis- 
tricts remote  from  the  river,  but  ready  to  be  friendly 
when  once  their  confidence  is  gained.  Perhaps  the 
prophecy  of  a  venerable  chief  of  this  same  village, 
Ikengo,  has  made  them  more  receptive.  He  foretold 
that  a  race  of  albinos  were  coming  to  that  country, 
whose  wool  was  as  straight  as  that  of  a  wild  boar ;  that 
canoes  would  come  up  river  without  paddles.  So  when 
the  white  man  came  with  straight  hair  and  in  steamers 
without  paddles  they  accepted  them  as  inevitable. 

It  is  not  necessary  further  to  follow  Stanley  in  his 
long  journey  down  the  river  to  the  pool  which  bears 
his  name — past  cataracts,  rapids,  and  whirlpools,  to  the 
once  more  navigable  waters  rushing  on  to  join  the 
ocean.  As  Stanley  turned,  August,  '77,  to  take  a  fare- 
well glance  at  the  mighty  river  on  whose  "brown  bosom" 
he  had  endured  so  greatly,  he  says:  "I  felt  my  heart 
suffused  with  purest  gratitude  to  Him  whose  hand  had 
protected  us  and  who  had  enabled  us  to  pierce  the  Dark 
Continent  from  East  to  West,  and  to  trace  its  mightiest 
river  to  its  ocean  bourne." 

The  news  of  the  successful  outcome  of  this  stu- 
pendous undertaking  had  no  sooner  reached  England, 
than  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  was  formed,  to 
attempt  an  entrance  into  Africa  by  the  new  route.  Dr. 
and  Mrs,  H.  Grattan  Guinness  were  the  founders  of 
this  new  mission.  These  great  missionary  philan- 
thropists had  been  led  of  God  some  years  previous  to 
this,  in  1872,  to  found  the  East  London  Institute  for 


Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  Equator     13 

Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  It  had  been  their  intense 
desire,  even  before  the  discovery  of  the  Congo,  to  send 
the  gospel  into  the  interior.  In  the  fall  of  '77,  when 
Stanley's  letters  were  published  in  England,  the  mis- 
sion was  quickly  organized  and  the  first  missionary, 
Henry  Craven,  was  sent  out.  Others  soon  followed  him. 
The  thrilling  incidents  of  the  first  five  years,  as  heard 
from  the  lips  of  those  dauntless  heralds  of  the  cross, 
exceed  those  of  any  book  yet  written.  Some  of  these 
who  went  out  under  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  are 
still  laboring  on  the  Congo.  Through  dangers  unsur- 
passed, through  seeming  defeat,  and  ofttimes  in  the  face 
of  death,  these  brave  men,  undaunted  by  their  calami- 
ties, went  on  and  on  until  they  planted  the  banner  of  the 
King  of  kings  at  Stanley  Pool,  on  the  Upper  Congo. 
After  the  burning  of  one  of  their  stations  and  the  death 
of  several  of  their  missionary  party,  they  wrote  home: 
"We  are  not  in  the  least  daunted  by  these  deaths.  For- 
ward is  the  order,  and,  with  God's  help,  forward  we 
will  go!" 

In  1883  these  pioneers  opened  three  stations  on  the 
Upper  Congo  above  Stanley  Pool,  the  last  one  being 
called  Equatorville,  or  Waugata.  This  site  was  just 
above  the  present  station  of  Bolenge,  and  there  for  the 
first  time  was  the  gospel  planted  on  the  equator. 

The  policy  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  was 
to  plant  a  chain  of  stations  into  the  interior.  This  they 
could  not  accomplish.  When  they  felt  that  another 
society  was  better  able  than  they  to  carry  forward  this 
mighty  undertaking,  the  whole  mission  was  tendered  to 
the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  and  accepted. 
This  showed  the  true  missionary  spirit  of  the  conse- 


14  Bolenge 

crated  founders  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission. 
For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  modern  missions 
so  large  a  mission  was  transferred  from  one  society  to 
another  without  any  compensation.  The  Livingstone 
Inland  Mission  then  was  composed  of  six  established 
stations  with  supplies  and  buildings  and  twenty-five 
missionaries.  The  property  had  cost  $125,000,  and 
many  lives.  Besides  this,  the  mission  steamer  Henry 
Reed,  which  cost  $25,000,  was  turned  over  to  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  as  a  free  gift. 
This  was  a  valuable  heritage  of  life  and  property.  It 
included  Equator  Station,  which  was  then  considered 
of  great  importance  and  as  giving  promise  of  success. 
The  single  condition  under  which  this  unique  transfer 
was  made  was  that  the  mission  should  be  "vigorously 
sustained." 

The  expense,  however,  of  carrying  on  so  great  a 
work  was  stupendous,  especially  on  the  Upper  river, 
and  a  constantly  increasing  problem  to  the  American 
Baptists.  The  years  which  followed  proved  the  inability 
of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  to  fulfill 
the  ideals  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission,  for  the 
stations  then  established  could  barely  be  supported.  It 
was  thought  wiser  to  concentrate  efforts  on  the  Lower 
Congo,  where  a  strong  work  was  in  progress,  though 
the  stations  on  the  Upper  Congo  should  suffer  in  con- 
sequence. The  missionaries  had  to  provide  much  of 
their  own  support,  so  little  did  the  churches  at  home 
then  understand  the  great  opportunity  given  to  them 
by  God.  But  God  is  ever  watchful  of  His  own,  and 
was  raising  up  another  agency  to  carry  on  the  work 
so  courageously  begun  and  kept  up,  amid  so  many  dis- 
couragements. 


Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  Equator     15 

In  November,  1895,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  of  the  Churches 
of  Christ,  a  committee  on  Africa  was  appointed,  with 
J.  A.  Lord  as  chairman.  In  substance  their  report  was 
as  follows:  "The  Continent  of  Africa  is  now,  by  the 
providence  of  God,  open  to  the  entrance  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  and  the  way  into  its  darkest  depths,  already 
blazed  by  the  heroic  efforts  of  Christian  missionaries 
who  have  entered  it  for  Christ.  ...  Its  people  seem 
peculiarly  ready  for  the  reception  of  the  truth  of  God. 

"In  view  of  these  facts,  it  seems  our  pressing  duty, 
as  loyal  disciples  of  Christ,  to  open  a  mission  effort 
in  Africa  with  the  least  possible  delay.  .  .  .  We  recom- 
mend that  the  Board  be  requested  and  authorized  to 
open,  or  prepare  for  opening,  during  the  coming  year,  a 
mission  in  Africa,  if  the  resources  shall  permit;  if  in 
its  best  judgment  there  be  no  insuperable  difficulties 
in  the  way." 

Two  years  later  one  man  had  been  found  willing 
to  be  the  pioneer  of  this  work,  and  the  report  of  another 
committee  on  Africa,  with  W.  F.  Eichardson  as  chair- 
man, reads  thus: 

"Beneath  a  baobab  tree,  beside  Lake  Ilala,  in  the 
interior  of  Africa,  lies  the  heart  of  David  Livingstone. 
His  body,  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  dark-skinned 
sons  of  that  heathen  continent,  was  carried  to  the  dis- 
tant coast  and  thence  conveyed  to  an  honored  burial 
in  Westminster  Abbey.  Into  this  vast  field,  thus  opened 
by  this  man  of  God,  others  have  entered,  enlightening 
its  darkness  with  the  beams  of  the  Sun  of  Eighteous- 
ness,  bringing  liberty  to  the  captives  and  hope  to  the 
despairing. 


16  Bolenge 

"Many  Christian  bodies  of  believers  have  sent  of 
their  number,  chosen  men  and  women  who  have  counted 
it  a  joy  to  lay  down  their  lives  in  behalf  of  this  race 
so  long  in  darkness  and  sin,  so  eager  to  receive  the 
saving  gospel  of  our  Lord.  In  this  great  work  the 
people  who  delight  to  call  themselves  Disciples  of 
Christ  have  not  yet  borne  a  part.  In  choosing  fields 
for  mission  work  among  the  heathen  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent has  not  yet  been  entered  by  them.  But  it  has 
for  several  years  been  on  their  hearts,  and  the  way 
seems  now  open  for  beginning  this  work. 

"One  consecrated,  earnest  man,  E.  E.  Paris,  is 
willing  and  anxious  to  go  to  Africa  to  plant  the  standard 
of  the  cross.  He  has  been  accepted  for  this  mission. 
It  has  been  deemed  important  that  a  medical  mission- 
ary accompany  him.  The  committee  urges  that  no 
small  thing  shall  stand  in  the  way  of  a  movement  on 
Africa.  Too  long  have  we  delayed  at  the  threshold 
of  this  open  door. 

"We  desire  to  lay  this  upon  the  conscience  of  the 
whole  Church.  ...  If  we  move  forward  in  obedience 
to  the  Lord's  command  He  will  open  doors,  and  raise 
up  men  to  enter  them." 

Mr.  E.  E.  Faris  and  Dr.  H.  IST.  Biddle  accordingly 
were  sent  forth  upon  this  mission,  going  to  the  Congo 
Eree  State,  which  had  been  recognized  as  such  by  a 
conference  of  the  nations  of  Christendom  at  Berlin, 
in  1884.  At  that  time  it  was  declared:  'Tliiberty  of 
conscience  and  religious  toleration  are  expressly  guar- 
anteed to  the  natives,  as  well  as  to  the  inhabitants  and 
foreigners.  The  free  and  public  exercise  of  every  creed, 
the  right  to  erect  religious  buildings  and  to  organize 
missions  belonging  to  every  creed,  shall  be  subject  to 


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-^  ^^ ^ 


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TSFHrCA 


A L 


The  location  of  Bolenge  and  Longa   are  indicated  by  the  dots. 


Planting  the  Gospel  on  the  Equator    17 

no  restriction  or  impediment  whatsoever."  King  Leo- 
pold II  was  the  elected  sovereign  of  the  Free  State 
until  1908,  when  it  became  a  regular  colony  under  the 
administration  of  the  central  government  of  Belgium, 
and  is  now  known  as  Congo  Beige. 

When  our  missionaries  arrived  in  the  Congo  they 
soon  found  that  the  "religious  liberty  and  freedom  to 
establish  missions"  had  long  been  refused  to  Protestant 
societies.  For  months  they  traveled  up  and  down  the 
Congo  and  its  tributaries  seeking  an  abiding  place  but 
finding  none.  The  missionaries  of  other  societies  re- 
ceived them  into  their  homes  and  helped  them  in  every 
way  possible.  The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union 
had  offered  to  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society 
certain  of  their  stations  on  the  Upper  Congo,  and  after 
investigation  the  offer  of  Bolenge  was  accepted  with 
grateful  appreciation  of  the  courtesy  and  good-will  of 
that  society.  Two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  was 
paid  as  a  small  return  for  the  added  equipment  made 
to  the  station  during  the  years  of  their  occupancy. 

The  uncertain  life,  together  with  exposure  and 
weakening  health,  proved  too  much  for  the  brave  young 
doctor,  H.  N.  Biddle.  Before  he  had  ever  seen  the 
site  of  the  new  work  he  was  compelled  to  start  for 
home.  He  never  reached  America.  More  personal  men- 
tion will  be  made  of  him  in  another  chapter,  and  we 
leave  him  now  to  follow  the  other  young  man,  E.  E. 
Faris,  to  Equator  Station,  now  known  as  Bolenge. 
The  Baptist  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  B.  Banks, 
were  still  at  the  station,  discouraged  and  disheartened 
by  the  terrible  trials  through  which  they  had  gone.  In 
the  meantime  the  news  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Biddle  had 


18  Bolenge 

reached  America,  and  another  doctor  and  his  wife  were 
sent  immediately  to  fill  the  vacant  place.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Eoyal  J.  Dye  took  with  them  the  papers  for  the  transfer 
of  the  station,  and  after  their  arrival  at  Bolenge,  April 
17,  1899,  the  station  was  given  over  to  these  three  inex- 
perienced young  people.  With  sad  hearts  they  saw  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Banks  leave  the  home  where  they  had  pa- 
tiently struggled  to  build  up  the  cause  of  Christ  amid 
what   seemed  insuperable  difficulties. 

Now  for  the  third  time  the  gospel  began  to  be 
planted  on  the  equator.  The  soil  which  gave  hopes  of 
such  an  abundant  harvest  in  earlier  years  had  become 
more  and  more  stony,  and  the  seed  which  had  been 
sown  and  had  immediately  sprung  up  had  soon  with- 
ered away  because  there  was  no  root.  "These  were  they 
who  have  no  root  in  themselves,  but  endure  for  awhile; 
then  when  tribulation  or  persecution  ariseth — straight- 
way they  stumble."  There  was  but  one  Christian  left, 
though  there  were  some  active  backsliders  in  the  heathen 
village.  Yet  none  but  the  Heavenly  Father  can  tell  how 
much  seed  then  sown  has  sprung  up  in  these  later  days 
as  showers  of  blessings  have  been  poured  out  upon 
Bolenge.  It  is  God  who  gives  the  increase.  It  has 
been  a  great  honor  for  us  to  have  followed  those  heroes 
and  heroines  who  counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto 
themselves.  Ours  is  a  station  whose  history  is  fraught 
with  many  memories.  Even  the  sheets  of  zinc  of  which 
one  of  the  mission  bungalows  is  built  are  still  marked 
with  'Tj.  I.  M."  in  large  letters.  "We  have  entered 
into  a  holy  ministry.  And  herein  is  that  saying  true, 
"One  soweth  and  another  reapeth.  I  sent  you  to  reap 
that  whereon  ye  bestowed  no  labor;  other  men  labored 
and  ye  are  entered  into  their  labors." 


CHAPTEE   II 
Beautiful  and  Busy  Bolenge 

"  Where  every  prospect  pleases 
And  only  man  is  vile." 

For  years  these  lines  were  a  fitting  word  picture  of 
Bolenge.  Situated  more  than  seven  hundred  miles 
from  the  coast,  directly  on  the  equator,  it  occupies  a 
commanding  position  in  the  great  Congo  basin.  For 
hundreds  of  miles  on  all  sides  of  Bolenge  this  basin  is 
an  extensive  marshy  plateau,  covered  by  the  renowned 
forest  of  the  Congo.  This  region  is  thought  by  some 
to  have  once  been  a  great  inland  sea.  For  these  hun- 
dreds of  miles  there  is  not  a  hill  and  the  native  lan- 
guages have  lost  the  words  for  hills  and  mountains. 

Wherever  there  is  a  rise  of  land  sufiiciently  large 
to  accommodate  the  necessary  buildings,  there  a  Gov- 
ernment post,  a  trading  post,  or  a  mission  station  is 
built.  The  intervening  marsh  is  drained  by  beautiful 
rivulets  that  frequently  break  forth  to  join  the  resist- 
less tide  of  the  Congo.  The  scenery  is  an  ever-changing 
panorama  from  Stanley  Pool  to  Stanley  Falls,  a  dis- 
tance of  one  thousand  miles.  From  the  stately  white 
"Dover  Cliffs"  at  the  Pool,  rises  a  long  line  of  hills, 
with  picturesque  groves  of  borassus  or  fan  palms  in 
the  valleys  between.  Through  these  groves  runways 
have  been  made  by  herds  of  elephants  and  buffaloes 

19 


20  Bolenge 

coming  down  to  the  river  for  drink.  Occasionally  a 
hippopotamus  pokes  his  huge  brown  nose  up  through 
the  water  to  give  a  loud  grunt  of  disapproval  at  being 
disturbed  in  his  peaceful,  watery  home. 

Soon  the  hills  begin  to  recede  and  hundreds  of  miles 
of  low  lying  land  is  passed.  There  are  no  longer  rocks 
to  be  avoided  in  the  river,  but  shifting  sandbars  take 
their  place,  where  crocodiles  lie  basking  in  the  sun.  The 
winding,  ever-changing  course  of  the  river  relieves  the 
monotony.  Chattering  monkeys  and  flocks  of  birds 
afford  diversion  for  the  sportsman.  The  flowers  and 
gorgeously  beautiful  birds  that  commonly  are  supposed 
to  abound  in  the  tropical  forests  are  rare,  but  the  foliage 
makes  good  the  loss.  Each  bush  and  tree  vies  with  its 
neighbor  in  the  beautiful  hue  of  freshly  bursting  leaves. 
The  beauty  of  these  trees  even  surpasses  the  beauty  of 
the  autumn  leaves  in  the  home  land,  the  old  leaves  with 
their  varying  shades  of  brown  and  green  making  the 
trees  look  like  a  giant  flower  bed.  The  bright  young 
leaves  bursting  out  amid  the  dull  tones  of  the  old 
gives  mere  foliage  the  appearance  of  rich  bloom.  Here 
and  there  where  a  rivulet  breaks  forth  appears  a  vista 
of  young  palms.  How  glorious^  how  magnificent !  But 
a  few  days  of  scorching  sun  and  the  beauty  fades  and 
withers.  How  typical  is  the  tropical  foliage  of  the 
tropical  folk !  All  beauty  is  in  youth;  old  age  is  dried 
and  seared  and  unlovely. 

On  a  little  bay  of  the  river,  surrounded  by  this 
tropical  verdure,  lies  the  bank  whereon  Bolenge  stands. 
This  is  a  rare  spot,  overlooking  the  dark  turbulent 
Congo. 

The  beach  is  lined  with  huge  boulders  of  conglom- 


Beautiful  and  Busy  Bolenge  21 

erate  rock.  Much  time  was  necessarily  spent  in  making 
a  safe  landing-place  for  the  steamers.  Just  out  of  the 
rocky  hillside  above,  flows  a  clear,  sparkling  spring,  over 
which  a  brick  house  has  been  built  with  palm-thatched 
roof.  This  spring  supplies  pure,  crystal  water  to  both 
missionaries  and  natives.  No  steamer  landing  here 
ever  fails  to  fill,  from  the  spring's  never-failing  supply, 
every  available  demijohn.  Even  the  native  is  learning 
to  prefer  it  to  the  more  highly  flavored  water  of  the 
river. 

Up  from  the  reddish  rocks  on  the  beach,  the  green 
bank  rises,  a  steep  slope  of  sixty  or  seventy  feet.  Wind- 
ing paths  lead  up  on  each  side  of  the  slope  to  the  level 
plat  above,  when  the  station  is  laid  out.  This  is  often 
called  "The  Park."  The  palm-bordered  avenue  which 
skirts  the  station  and  the  century-old,  fern-bedecked 
palms  make  a  picturesque  setting  for  the  whole ;  being 
a  natural  conservatory  enclosed  by  the  arching  sky 
and  warmed  by  the  intense  sun,  all  tropical  vegetation 
grows  with  great  rapidity  and  luxuriance.  Oranges, 
mangoes,  guavas,  alligator  pears,  grape-fruit,  pine- 
apples, bananas,  and  numerous  other  varieties  of  fruit 
have  been  successfully  introduced.  Of  these,  only 
bananas  are  grown  by  the  natives — an  insipid  variety. 

At  the  front  of  the  station,  facing  the  river  and 
nestling  amid  this  wealth  of  shade  and  beauty,  are  the 
three  little  mission  bungalows.  A  wide  avenue  of 
golden  moor  acacias  stretches  across  the  station  in  front 
of  the  houses.  When  in  bloom  these  trees  look  like 
gorgeous  hanging  flower  beds.  The  school  chapel  once 
occupied  a  position  on  a  line  with  the  bungalows,  facing 
the  river,  but  was  moved  from  this  site  to  a  more 


22  Bolenge 

central  position  nearer  the  native  village.  Facing  on 
Church  Street,  the  chapel  is  accessible  from  all  direc- 
tions, being  approached  by  paths  from  Orange  Avenue 
and  Main  Street.  Opposite  this,  across  Orange  Avenue, 
is  the  Tabernacle  and  site  for  the  new  Auditorium  and 
Bible  College,  As  may  be  seen  from  the  plan  of  the 
station,  the  printing  house,  carpenter's  shop,  sheep  and 
goat  folds,  and  orphanage  are  placed  in  convenient  posi- 
tions here  and  there.  Pretty  streets  and  wide  avenues 
lead  to  all  these.  In  one  secluded  corner  to  the  left 
of  the  chapel,  bordered  round  with  young  palms,  lies 
the  quiet  city  of  the  sainted  dead. 

To  the  right  and  left  of  the  station  along  the  tele- 
graph path  which  runs  back  of  the  station,  parallel  with 
the  river,  lies  the  native  village.  Immediately  back  of 
the  stations  is  growing  up  a  distinct  Christian  com- 
munity, though  the  whole  village  of  Bolenge  is  almost 
altogether  Christian  now.  All  the  day  long  the  streets 
of  the  station  are  scenes  of  busy  traffic  and  industry. 
The  children  from  the  villages  run  about,  throng  the 
paths  at  the  ringing  of  the  school  bell,  and  fall  in  line 
to  march  into  the  chapel.  Workmen  may  be  seen  at 
all  hours  hurrying  with  their  paddles  to  make  a  trip 
across  the  river  for  necessary  building  material,  carry- 
ing lumber,  or  otherwise  busily  occupied.  The  sound 
of  hammers  and  saws  tells  of  new  buildings  being 
erected.  Long  lines  of  boys  may  be  seen  slowly  coming 
up  the  hill  from  the  beach  with  boxes  full  of  clay  for 
brick-making.  Others  are  quickly  mixing  it  with  sand, 
while  some  are  molding  and  carrying  the  fresh  bricks 
to  the  drying  sheds.  Sewing  machines  hum  as  the 
girls  turn  out  the  neatly  made  garments  for  sale  in  the 


Bolenge,  from  the  River. 


A   corner   of    Bolenge    Station.      Missionary   homes    in   the 
background. 


Beautiful  and  Busy  Bolenge  23 

mission  store.  Others  are  cooking,  washing,  sweeping, 
and  scrubbing.  The  smaller  children  are  busy  picking 
up  bits  of  paper  and  keeping  the  lawn  tidy.  Crowds 
of  sick  are  waiting  their  turn  at  the  Dispensary.  One 
by  one  they  come  and  go,  bringing  corn,  cassava  roots, 
eggs,  fowls,  and  ducks  to  exchange  for  salt,  enameled 
dishes,  spoons,  forks,  knives,  fish  hooks,  and  other  arti- 
cles. Women  with  huge  baskets  on  their  backs  sit 
beneath  the  trees.  They  are  waiting  while  the  station 
boys  pick  oranges  and  mangoes,  which  these  women 
have  come  to  buy.  This  fruit  they  in  turn  sell  to 
ready  purchasers  on  Government  steamers  at  a  good 
profit.  The  hum  of  the  mission  press  reminds  one  that 
here  a  new  literature  is  being  made  and  a  new  trade 
being  learned.  The  missionaries  are  a  busy  group,  for 
all  these  many  departments  must  have  personal  super- 
vision. A  busy  life  in  a  beautiful  place,  but  under  diffi- 
cult conditions,  such  must  it  ever  be  to  the  missionary 
who  goes  forth  to  Central  Africa  to  preach  the  gospel 
of  the  Son  of  man. 

This  is  but  a  glimpse  of  the  out-of-door  sanctuary 
to  which  God  has  called  His  messengers,  there  to  exem- 
plify in  word  and  deed  the  life  of  His  Son  before  a 
heathen  world.  God  said,  "I  will  be  to  them  a  little 
sanctuary  in  the  countries  to  which  they  have  gone." 
To  us  has  this  promise  been  fulfilled. 


CHAPTER   III 
People  Devoid  of  Shame 

The  outward  beauty  of  the  mission  station  at  Bo- 
lenge  has  been  described.  What  a  contrast  to  this  was 
the  native  village  even  as  we  found  it  in  1899.  Much  of 
the  common,  every-day  life  of  the  natives  would  not  bear 
description.  It  is  not  just,  however,  to  any  tribe  of 
the  Bantu  race  to  condemn  it  thus  without  explanation. 
In  spite  of  their  degraded  condition,  these  people  pos- 
sess certain  strong  characteristics  and  indications  of 
latent  capacity  not  entirely  inferior  to  that  of  the 
Asiatic  or  European.  When  these  dormant  possibil- 
ities are  brought  to  life  and  developed  by  Christianity, 
we  find  a  people  peculiarly  different  from  the  real 
Negroid  race. 

The  Bantu  race  now  occupies  that  vast  part  of 
Africa,  from  the  Southern  border  of  the  Sudan,  south 
to  the  Orange  Eiver  and  east  and  west  from  ocean  to 
ocean.  To  the  north  and  south  are  races  totally  dif- 
ferent from  them.  The  one  great  characteristic  of  the 
Bantu  race  is  the  language,  which,  though  divided  into 
hundreds  of  dialects,  has  ever  the  same  construction  and 
grammatical  basis.  The  racial  name  Bantu  is  the  word 
for  "people"  in  every  dialect,  although  in  a  few  it  has 
a  slightly  different  form.  This  alone  would  be  suffi- 
cient to  prove  one  common  origin  of  the  race. 

21 


People  Devoid  of  Shame  25 

For  years  it  was  thought  that  the  Hottentots  of  the 
extreme  south  and  the  ancient  Egyptians  of  the  North- 
east, were  alike  in  many  particulars  and  differed  widely 
from  their  intervening  neighbors.  Philologists  of  the 
present  day  have  found  remarkable  resemblances  be- 
tween the  languages  of  the  Hottentots  and  that  of  the 
Egyptians.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  these 
two  were  originally  one,  and  that  some  incoming  race 
divided  them  and  drove  a  portion  to  the  southern  limit 
of  the  Continent.  The  question  of  how  and  whence 
the  Bantus  came  is  not  so  easily  answered.  Eev.  E.  M. 
Bliss  says:  "As  the  families  of  the  earth  multiplied  in 
the  home  of  their  childhood  and  youth,  it  is  easy  to 
see  how  there  must  have  been  a  general  pressure  from 
the  North  and  East  to  the  South  and  West,  especially 
from  Western  Asia  into  northeast  of  Africa,  or  from 
the  Euphrates  into  Egypt."  Professor  Starr,  of  the 
University  of  Chicago,  the  eminent  anthropologist,  has 
written  the  author  as  follows  concerning  his  views  as 
to  the  origin  of  the  Bantu  race :  "My  own  belief  is  that 
the  ancestral  Bantu  are  related  to  the  Melanesians  (such 
as  live  in  Fiji,  New  Guinea,  etc.)  and  have  entered  the 
country  from  the  east  side.  They  have  filled  the  middle 
and  south  of  the  Continent.  Among  the  northern  peo- 
ples they  have  no  doubt  received  influence  from  non- 
Bantu  peoples,  both  true  Negro  and  Hamitic  and 
Semitic  whites.  Of  course,  there  have  been  constant 
movements  among  all  Bantu  peoples,  and  none  of  the 
tribes  have  been  perhaps  very  long  in  their  present  loca- 
tions." This  migrating  race  then,  though  undoubt- 
edly Hamitic  in  its  origin,  would  have  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  more  intelligent   Caucasian  races,   and 


26  Bolenge 

intermarriage  would  account  for  the  lighter  color,  more 
elevated  nose,  and  altogether  more  intelligent  features. 
They  bear  marked  similarity  to  the  Caucasian,  one  often 
finding  striking  likeness  between  them  and  white  peo- 
ple. This  would  also  account  for  the  natural  grace, 
dignity,  and  more  aristocratic  bearing  of  the  people  of 
this  race  compared  to  the  real  Negro. 

While  the  above  theory  would  explain  their  real 
superiority,  it  would  also  account  for  their  similarity 
to  the  Negroid  race,  for  in  passing  through  the  Negro 
country  they  would  have  mingled  with  them  to  some 
extent  and  have  become  like  them  in  many  respects, 
darker,  with  thicker  lips  and  kinkier  hair.  The  hair 
of  a  Bantu  babe  is  as  soft  as  silk  and  its  skin  remark- 
ably light.  Moreover,  many  of  their  fireside  tales  have 
led  the  missionaries  to  believe  that  at  some  time  they 
were  in  touch  with  a  higher  civilization.  These  influ- 
ences have  given  color  to  their  folk-lore  tales.  Some 
remnants  of  stories  of  the  flood  and  tower  of  Babel  are 
still  found.  There  are,  moreover,  authentic  stories  of 
the  migration  of  many  of  these  tribes  as  they  came  down 
from  the  North. 

There  are  many  proofs  of  the  slow  degeneration  of 
this  great  race.  However,  their  strong,  inherited  char- 
acteristics, their  quick  insight  and  intelligence  make 
their  regeneration  comparatively  easy. 

The  Nkundos,  together  with  the  Lolos  to  the  North, 
are  one  tribe  of  this  race, — a  tribe  of  at  least  10,000,000 
people,  speaking  the  same  language  with  some  dialectical 
differences.  Even  in  the  same  tribe  the  customs,  dress, 
and  manner  of  life  differ,  so  what  would  be  true  of  one 
section  would  not  be  true  in  another.    The  dress  is  more 


People  Devoid  of  Shame  27 

nearly  undress,  the  farther  away  from  the  main  river 
one  goes.  At  Bolenge  the  heathen  women  wore  a  narrow 
strip  of  cloth  around  the  hips,  tied  with  a  thong  or 
strip  of  dried  banana  leaf,  the  rest  of  the  body  being 
perfectly  nude.  The  men  wore  a  loin  cloth  suspended 
from  a  leathern  girdle  about  the  loins  and  fastened 
under  the  belt  at  the  back.  When  the  cloth  is  large  and 
full  enough  to  meet  at  the  sides  of  the  hips  this  gives  a 
most  ludicrous  appearance,  as  though  wearing  a  double 
"directoire"  costume.  The  missionaries  found  the  chil- 
dren dressed  only  in  their  birth-day  clothes,  save  for 
a  string  about  the  hips  to  make  a  waist  line.  Up  the 
Bosira  the  women's  costume  varies  greatly  from  that 
of  Bolenge.  Theirs  consists  of  a  woven  belt  tied  in 
front,  and  having  a  huge  pompon  behind,  an  original 
and  abbreviated  combination  of  bustle  and  sheath  gown. 
Farther  inland  the  women's  costume  grows  less  and  less, 
often  consisting  of  only  a  string  with  a  narrow  sus- 
pended strip  of  cloth,  studded  with  beads  or  white 
buttons.  All  these  different  sections  make  an  elab- 
orate use  of  camwood  or  logwood  powder  in  their  toi- 
lets, mixing  the  red  powder  with  oil  and  smearing  it 
over  the  entire  body.  Often  stripes  of  white  pipe  clay 
are  seen  across  the  forehead,  down  the  arms,  and  over 
many  parts  of  the  body.  These  usually  have  some 
superstitious  signification. 

Hair  dressing  is  the  next  step  in  their  elaborate 
toilet,  and  in  this  the  women  are  experts.  It  is 
impossible  for  them  to  dress  their  own  hair,  and 
the  men  require  as  much  time  as  the  women.  The 
hair  often  grows  quite  long,  and  is  fantastically 
braided,  sometimes  to  make  one,  two,  or  even  three 


28  Bolenge 

horns  projecting  over  the  forehead.  These  often 
remind  one  of  representations  of  his  Satanic  Majesty. 
Sometimes  the  hair  is  arranged  in  two  braids,  which 
coquettishly  twine  around  the  neck.  There  are  many 
more  peculiar  and  striking  ways  of  hair  dressing.  In 
each  case  the  hair  is  piled  high  on  the  head,  but  without 
the  use  of  "rats."  Occasionally  the  braids  of  hair  are 
studded  with  beads  and  small  white  buttons  much  as 
the  woman  of  to-day  wears  the  gem-studded  hair  combs. 
The  world  over  these  ornaments  are  worn  for  one  and 
the  same  reason,  to  attract  the  attention  and  elicit  the 
admiration  of  the  opposite  sex.  When  the  hair  is 
dressed  the  end  is  not  yet,  for  this  process  of  hair  dress- 
ing requires  so  much  time  that  it  must  remain  dressed 
for  a  period  of  weeks  or  even  months.  To  obtain  this 
desideratum  a  finishing  touch  is  put  on,  not  by  a 
filmy  net,  however,  but  by  the  application  of  a  pomade. 
This  is  composed  of  palm  oil,  camwood  powder,  and  all 
the  combings  from  the  hair  dressing,  which  are  scrupu- 
lously saved  lest  an  enemy  obtain  any  of  these  and  use 
them  as  a  fetich  with  which  to  harm  her.  Thus  wben 
the  coiffure  is  properly  dressed  it  is  fearfully  and  won- 
derfully made,  being  a  safe  receptacle  for  the  combing 
of  perhaps  many  previous  years,  and  also  for  a  multitude 
of  small  living  inhabitants. 

This  elaborate  style  of  hair  dressing  is  discouraged 
among  Christians,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  cleanliness, 
but  for  morality  as  well.  The  one  whose  hair  is  being 
dressed  reclines  on  a  mat  on  the  ground,  with  his  head 
in  the  lap  of  the  hair-dresser.  The  hair-dresser  is 
always  a  woman.  Whenever  she  is  other  than  one  of 
the  man's  own  wives,  it  is  an  open  sign  understood  by 


People  Devoid  of  Shame  29 

all,  of  his  having  found  an  affinity  for  the  time  being. 
Every  Christian  in  the  church  at  Bolenge,  whether  man 
or  woman,  has  the  hair  neatly  cut,  and  daily  combed. 

The  native  wardrobe  is  scanty,  but  their  tribal  mark- 
ings elaborate ;  these  consist  of  cicatrization  of  the  face 
and  entire  body.  This  begins  in  infancy  when  the  first 
lines  are  cut  in  the  little  forehead  and  on  the  temples. 
The  operations  are  kept  up  until  the  whole  body  is  cov- 
ered in  patterns  made  by  the  healing  of  these  cuts  in 
raised  ridges,  called  keloids.  To  make  sure  of  this 
result  red  pepper  and  other  irritating  substances  are 
rubbed  into  the  cicatrizations  to  prevent  their  healing 
too  quickly.  They  are  very  proud  of  their  decorations, 
and  do  not  take  kindly  to  clothing  which  will  cover  up 
these  marks  of  beauty.  Yet  even  all  the  real  suffering 
entailed  by  this  is  not  sufficient — ^their  teeth  must  be 
filed.  The  Nkundos  do  not  file,  all  their  teeth  to  a 
point  or  stub  as  do  certain  tribes,  but  simply  chip  off 
the  two  front  teeth  to  form  an  open  triangle.  This 
custom  is  observed  by  both  men  and  women.  This  is 
attended  with  great  pain,  and  some  can  not  stand  the 
test  and  in  deep  humiliation  go  through  life  devoid  of 
this  beauty  mark. 

When  Iso  Timothy,  one  of  our  evangelists,  was  a 
little  boy  he  went  to  have  his  teeth  chipped,  but  when 
the  operator  struck  a  nerve  he  jumped  up  and  ran 
away,  so  his  teeth  are  beautifully  perfect  save  for  one 
little  corner  of  one  front  tooth.  One  of  the  early  mis- 
sionaries (Dr.  Dye)  broke  a  piece  from  one  of  his  front 
teeth,  and  whenever  stranger  natives  would  see  him  for 
the  first  time  they  would  immediately  call  to  others  to 
notice  the  fact  that  this  white  man  followed  their  cus- 


30  Bolenge 

torn  of  tooth  chipping.  When  later  he  returned  from 
furlough  with  this  space  filled  with  gold,  the  attention 
paid  to  his  mouth  was  often  most  embarrassing. 

If  the  before  mentioned  requirements  were  all,  a 
native  woman's  toilet  would  indeed  be  simple,  but,  like 
her  more  enlightened  sister,  she  too  is  fond  of  orna- 
ments and  jewelry.  The  life  of  a  favorite  wife  is  ham- 
pered not  a  little  by  the  large  amount  of  this  bestowed 
upon  her ;  yet  she  would  not  be  happy  without  it.  The 
native  currency  or  exchange  has  passed  through  many 
changes,  from  beads,  copper  wire  and  iron,  to  brass  wire, 
now  imported  from  Europe  by  both  Government  and 
missionary.  This  is  cut  into  eleven  inch  lengths,  cost- 
ing about  one  cent  each,  though  the  value  to  the  native 
is  much  more  than  this.  This  brass  wire  is  melted 
by  the  clever  native  blacksmith  and  made  into  huge 
brass  collars  or  neck  rings,  weighing  for  a  grown 
woman  from  twenty-five  to  forty  pounds  each.  These 
are  put  on  the  neck  with  great  ceremony,  in  secret,  and 
worn  constantly,  though  the  whole  neck  may  become 
ulcerated  in  consequence.  Besides  this,  she  may  also 
wear  spiral  anklets  of  brass  wire  reaching  up  nearly 
to  the  knees  and  tapering  to  the  ankle.  These  weigh 
from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds  each  and  are  shaped  to  the 
leg  and  not  to  be  taken  off.  The  clanking  sound  of 
these  is  much  admired  by  the  gentry,  though  the  feet 
become  tense  and  swollen  in  consequence.  The  woman 
thus  adorned  may  never  again  work  in  the  garden,  for 
in  bending  over  her  hands  must  be  free  to  hold  up 
the  great  ring;  otherwise  her  neck  might  be  broken  by 
it.  Neither  may  she  go  in  a  canoe,  lest  it  be  over- 
turned and  she  be  drowned  and  her  husband's  money 


People  Devoid  of  Shame  31 

be  wasted.  She  is  altogether  up-to-date,  and  wears 
bracelets  of  all  sizes,  covering  her  arms  from  wrists  to 
elbows  and  often  even  above.  Smaller  anklets  and 
bracelets  are  worn  by  the  men  and  children  and  less 
favorite  women.  Nearly  all  the  women  are  slender  and 
graceful  with  an  erect  carriage  and  are  really  comely 
to  look  upon.  But  in  the  face  of  these  heathen  women 
there  is  a  dull,  hopeless  expression.  Here,  as  elsewhere, 
it  is  noticeable  that  the  more  outward  adornment  the 
less  "ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit"  do  they 
possess. 

Few  of  the  things  which  bring  shame  to  us  are 
shameful  to  them,  but  rather  do  they  glory  in  those 
ver^  things  which  it  would  be  shameful  for  us  to  men- 
tion. Su:?h  has  been  their  environment  and  heredity 
that  in  truth  "their  glory  is  in  their  shame."  It  is  not  a 
shame  to  have  an  open  brawl  in  the  streets,  or  to  come 
to  an  open  fight,  slashing  each  other  up  and  down  the 
backs  with  murderous-looking  weapons.  Eather  are 
the  scars  thus  received  marks  of  honor  and  courage, 
reminding  us  not  a  little  of  the  honorable  duels  of  our 
ancestors.  It  is  not  shame  for  a  woman  to  be  offered 
to  a  guest,  or  to  be  accosted  on  the  road  or  street  by  a 
friend  or  stranger.  With  the  young  women  this  is  not 
an  insult,  but  an  honor  to  her  charms ;  the  shame  would 
be  were  she  to  refuse.  It  is  not  shame  for  a  man  to 
have  many  wives,  or  to  beat  them  unmercifully,  for  is 
this  not  the  way  he  proves  his  love  for  them  ?  It  is  not 
shame,  0  Christian  mothers,  for  a  girl  to  be  trained 
in  indecency  and  immorality  from  her  infancy;  it  is 
simply  her  destiny.  Shame  is  the  product  of  an 
awakened  conscience,  which  is  always  the  result,  though 


32  Bolenge 

unconsciously  and  imperceptibly  as  it  may  be,  of  Chris- 
tianity. Heathen  nations  are  therefore  lacking  in  this 
virtue.  But  modesty  is  inborn,  and  there  is  no  man  or 
woman  so  degraded  as  to  be  totally  without  this  innate 
characteristic.  So  long  as  there  is  a  fragment  of  this 
modesty  remaining  there  is  hope.  This  modesty  is  a 
sure  sign  of  a  better,  purer,  higher  nature,  to  which  the 
gospel  may  appeal  until  the  sense  of  shame  has  been 
cultivated.  It  is  the  Son  of  man  whose  wondrous  per- 
sonality and  irreproachable  life  lifts  them  out  of  the 
shameless  existence  of  their  previous  condition,  to  be 
purified  and  to  walk  in  newness  of  life  for  evermore. 
This  is  strikingly  illustrated  in  the  life  of  one  of  our 
native  Christian  women.  Ikengo  was  born  in  Wala,  Lolo- 
land,  where  during  an  intertribal  war  she  was  captured 
and  carried  away  to  Lulanga.  There  they  gave  her  to  be 
the  wife  of  another  slave  whom  she  greatly  disliked.  One 
day  she,  in  company  with  several  other  girls,  ran  down 
to  the  beach  to  watch  the  arrival  of  a  Government 
steamer.  While  standing  there  a  white-skinned,  but 
black-hearted  officer  sent  a  native  to  seize  Ikengo  and 
bring  her  to  him,  for  she  was  beautiful.  She  strug- 
gled and  the  others  protested,  but  to  no  avail.  She 
soon  found  herself  locked  in  his  cabin,  where  she  re- 
mained until  the  steamer  was  under  way,  when  she 
was  forced  to  become  his  mistress.  She  felt  no  shame, 
only  sorrow  at  first  at  being  taken  away  to  a  life  she 
knew  nothing  of,  the  life  of  the  white  man.  She,  as 
do  others,  soon  became  proud  of  the  beautiful  clothes 
and  trinkets  given  her  to  wear.  For  some  years  she 
kept  up  the  life  thus  entered,  becoming  an  object  of 
envy  to  other  women,  who  were  compelled  to  live  a  sim- 
ilar life  with  less  compensation. 


People  Devoid  of  Shame  33 

Pinally  Ikengo  met  Ezo  on  a  steamer  on  which 
she  was  traveling,  and  went  to  live  with  him,  and 
together  they  began  attending  Catholic  services.  One 
day  the  evangelist,  Iso  Timothy,  asked  to  hold  a  service 
in  their  house,  to  which  they  consented,  but  Ikengo  left 
the  house.  Later  Iso  called  the  two  and  spoke  to  them 
privately,  and  they  listened  attentively  and  soon  became 
regular  attendants  at  all  services  at  Bolenge.  They 
were  legally  married  and  soon  their  life  gave  proof  of 
change.  The  whole  story  of  her  strange  career,  with 
much  that  has  been  omitted,  she  herself  told  in  confi- 
dence to  the  writer.  She  scarcely  raised  her  eyes  during 
the  recital,  for  she  had  come  to  realize  the  awful  shame 
of  that  life  from  which  she  had  been  saved.  She  saw 
the  sinfulness  of  that  which  all  her  people  considered 
honorable.  She  was  naturally  a  quiet,  modest  little 
woman,  and  for  a  brief  time  she  was  spared  to  enjoy 
the  full  delight  of  a  regenerated  life.  She  continually 
grew  in  all  the  Christian  graces  until  she  was  beloved 
by  all.  Her  health,  however,  had  been  undermined, 
and  while  all  were  yet  marveling  at  this  wonderful 
transformation  she  slipped  away  from  us  to  enter  into 
Life  Eternal. 

"0,  to  save  these,  to  perish  for  their  saving,  die  for 
their  life,  be  offered  for  them  all!" 


CHAPTER   IV 
Condition  of  Congo  Women 

'  Last  came  a  female  form,  more  soft,  more  fair, 
And  Eden  smiled  to  see  the  stranger  there ; 
Then  tones  of  joy  from  harps  seraphic  rung, 
The  stars  of  morning  in  their  courses  sung ; 
Earth  echoed  back  a  shout  of  grateful  love 
From  every  valley,  cavern,  stream,  and  grove. 
Man,  fill'd  vrith  praise,  in  solemn  rapture  stood, 
God  bow'd  to  view  His  work,  and  God  pronounced  it  good.' 

Through  Eve,  God  and  man  were  forever  united 
in  a  holy  compact.  From  that  day  to  this  the  index 
of  the  civilization  of  every  nation  or  people  in  all  the 
world  is  not  their  religion,  their  manner  of  life,  their 
prosperity,  but  the  respect  paid  to  woman.  "Woman 
has  always  been  the  life  and  spirit  of  all  true  and 
genuine  civilization." 

Taking  this  then  as  a  test,  the  unreached  peoples  and 
tribes  of  Central  Africa  are  as  low  as  it  is  possible  for 
any  nation  to  go.  Here  woman  from  birth  to  death 
is  but  the  tool  of  her  so-called  husband  or  master. 
Here,  even  before  birth,  some  man  will  often  aspire 
to  be  the  husband  of  the  unborn  child  and  will  deposit 
a  sum  of  money  or  some  equivalent  in  value  with  the 
mother  or  father.  In  case  the  child  be  a  girl  she 
already  belongs  to  him,  and  if  a  boy  the  fee  deposited 
is   returned,  to   be   offered   to   some   other   expectant 

84 


Condition  of  Congo  Women  35 

mother.  In  spite  of  her  degradation,  the  period  of 
expected  maternity  is  usually  the  happiest  of  a  heathen 
woman's  life,  for  then  she  is  treated  with  more  con- 
sideration and  every  dainty  procurable  is  given  her  to 
eat.  This,  sad  to  say,  not  because  of  love  or  of  any 
delicate  feeling,  but  because  children  are  desired,  and 
the  wife  who  bears  the  most  children  is  the  most  valu- 
able piece  of  property. 

On  the  contrary,  there  are  some  husbands,  scarcely 
human,  who  resent  the  unfortunate  woman's  condition, 
and  add  to  her  misery  by  cruelly  beating  her  and  forc- 
ing her  to  try  every  cruel  heathen  means  to  deprive 
herself  of  motherhood.  If  the  inhuman  beast  fails  in 
his  desired  purpose,  there  is  no  being  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  so  deserving  of  pity  as  that  poor  woman. 
The  picture  is  too  dark  for  description,  and  deeds  too 
unspeakable  lie  hidden  in  the  background.  These  are 
appreciated  only  by  those  who  have  seen,  whose  ears 
have  been  pierced  with  the  piteous  wails  of  these  poor 
creatures,  and  whose  hearts  have  been  torn  with  grief 
in  some  attempt  to  alleviate  their  suffering. 

So  great  is  the  ignorance  of  sanitary  methods,  and 
especially  of  the  care  of  infants,  that  the  death  rate  of 
infancy  is  high.  Owing  to  the  manner  of  life  the 
birth  rate  is  very  low,  so  in  many  sections  there  are 
but  few  children  born.  At  birth  a  baby  girl  or  boy  is 
given  a  liberal  smearing  of  palm  oil  and  red  powder, 
doing  away  with  a  dainty  or  elaborate  outfit.  For  sev- 
eral days  the  tiny  mite  receives  no  sustenance  save  a 
sip  of  water  poured  down  its  throat,  afterward  it  is 
nursed  by  the  mother  or  any  friend  or  neighbor  who 
willingly  constitutes  herself  a  wet  nurse. 


36  Bolenge 

After  a  few  days  a  jar  of  cold  river  water  is  brought 
and  dashed  over  the  babe,  which  is  placed  in  a  basin 
or  any  convenient  utensil.  If  its  cries  become  too 
frantic  a  mouthful  of  the  dirty  water  in  the  basin  is 
poured  down  its  throat.  The  babe  chokes,  of  course; 
the  choking  puts  crying  out  of  the  question  during  the 
next  dash  of  cold  water.  Very  soon  the  trouble  of 
carrying  water  is  dispensed  with,  and  the  babe  is  car- 
ried to  the  river,  where  suspended  by  an  arm  or  a  leg 
it  is  successively  submerged  in  the  water  and  is  brought 
out  strangling  and  gasping  for  breath.  Some  babies 
seem  to  get  used  to  this,  and  even  to  like  it,  while  others 
scream  all  the  way  to  the  stream  and  all  the  way  back. 

The  little  infant  must  soon  begin  to  have  the  tribal 
markings  cut  upon  her  body,  else  she  would  be  uncomely 
and  undesirable.  Her  eyelashes  must  be  constantly 
pulled  out,  and  often  vile  practices  are  resorted  to  in 
quieting  the  squirming,  writhing  child.  Thus  is  its 
sweet  innocence  blighted  before  it  ever  unfolds,  and 
evil  habits  are  forced  upon  the  unsuspecting  babe.  In 
the  home  there  is  no  privacy,  and  lessons  of  personal 
purity  are  never  taught  by  precept  or  example.  Before  it 
seems  credible  these  little  girls  are  encouraged  to  become 
the  constant  companion  of  some  boys  of  their  own  age, 
and  they  are  led  into  sin  by  means  of  certain  games, 
which  are  conducted  by  some  one  older.  The  children 
to  be  initiated  are  taken  into  the  forest  with  quan- 
tities of  food  as  to  a  picnic,  where  the  games  there 
taught  lead  them  unsuspectingly  to  sin. 

Thus  the  little  girl  is  being  prepared  for  the  life 
she  is  to  live,  and  when  but  a  mere  child,  sometimes  not 
more  than  eight  or  ten  years  old,  she  is  taken  away 


Condition  of  Congo  Women  37 

by  her  husband.  Then  she  must  live  with  one  of  his 
older  wives  as  a  handmaid  until  she  is  grown  to  tender 
young  womanhood.  Like  every  little  girl,  she  is  a  min- 
iature housewife  and  mother,  and  follows  her  mother 
or  mistress  to  the  garden  with  a  tiny  basket  on  her 
back,  returning  with  it  full  of  firewood  or  food.  In 
lieu  of  a  doll  she  has  a  piece  of  banana  stalk  with  tribal 
markings  carefully  cut  on  it  instead  of  features.  Girls 
play  many  little  games  in  motion  and  song  very  like 
kindergarten  plays.  The  "cat's  cradle,"  made  with 
strings  on  the  fingers,  is  with  them  a  scientific  art. 
They  cross  and  weave  these  strings  into  many  designs, 
as  ably  illustrated  and  described  by  Professor  Starr,  who 
made  it  a  study. 

Childhood  is  soon  past  and  life  is  begun  in  earnest. 
The  full  bridal  fee  is  never  paid  by  a  man  until  he  is 
satisfied  that  the  young  wife  will  be  to  his  liking.  If 
she  is  not,  he  returns  her  to  her  parents  and  receives 
his  money  back.  In  this  way  girls  are  often  passed  on 
from  one  man  to  another  before  being  accepted  as  a 
permanent  wife.  Even  heathen  women  have  confessed 
that  there  comes  a  time  when  this  life  of  enforced 
licentiousness  is  absolutely  abhorrent  to  them.  Fre- 
quently such  a  girl  runs  away  and  goes  back  to  her 
mother  if  she  is  so  fortunate  as  to  have  one.  The 
mother,  however,  is  powerless  to  help  her  daughter, 
for  her  own  life  is  the  same  and  there  is  no  other  for 
either  of  them.  She  therefore  compels  her  to  return 
to  the  husband,  to  whom  she  belongs  by  right  of  pur- 
chase. As  there  is  no  other  way,  the  young  girl  becomes 
hardened,  as  did  her  mother  and  generations  of  women 
before  her. 


38  Bolenge 

There  is  one  advantage  in  being  a  free  woman — the 
daughter  or  sister  of  a  chief — for  then  one  is  not  usually 
married  so  young.  When  girls  of  this  rank  arrive  at 
maturity  they  may  have  a  word  to  say  as  to  whom  they 
shall  go. 

The  life  of  the  ordinary  woman  or  slave  is  worse 
than  can  be  described.  She  may  be  bought  and  sold  at 
pleasure,  rented  out  here  and  there,  exchanged  for  a 
more  desirable  wife,  and  cast  out  by  husband  and 
relatives  should  disease  attack  her.  A  free  woman  who 
has  borne  children  is  looked  upon  in  her  later  years  as 
possessing  the  power  of  a  witch.  In  such  a  case  only, 
does  a  woman  have  aught  to  say  in  the  affairs  of  family 
or  village.  These  old  grandmothers  keep  alive  the  su- 
perstitions in  the  minds  of  children,  and  are  the  greatest 
hindrance  to  the  enlightenment  of  the  people.  One 
such  old  Jezebel  in  the  village  of  Bolenge  hindered  the 
work  not  a  little.  But  for  her  influence  her  son,  the 
oldest  living  chief  of  Bolenge,  would  have  become  a 
Christian.  Some  of  his  young  wives  began  to  attend 
the  services  of  the  mission,  and  she  tried  to  frighten 
them  into  giving  it  up.  This  failing,  she  watched  them 
like  a  hawk  and  forbade  their  going,  but  they  per- 
sisted and  one  became  a  Christian.  As  soon  as  she 
heard  this  the  old  woman  called  the  older  wives  of  the 
son  together,  and  told  them  they  must  force  this  girl 
back  to  the  old  life,  else  their  husband  would  die  with- 
out having  honored  her  by  really  making  her  his  wife. 
A  night  was  set  when  they  awakened  the  unsuspecting 
girl  and  called  her  to  the  house  of  the  husband,  where 
they  coaxed,  cajoled,  threatened,  and  tried  to  force  her 
to  accede  to  their  wishes.    Her  lips  were  drawn  and  she 


> 


td 


Condition  of  Congo  Women  39 

stood  like  adamant,  daring  to  refuse.  Suddenly  she 
saw  a  way  of  escape  and  ran  to  the  mission,  where  she 
sat  out  of  doors  until  morning.  In  a  few  simple  words 
she  told  her  story  and  declared  her  determination  never 
to  return.  The  judge  of  the  district  listened  to  her 
tale  next  day  and  gave  her  over  to  the  protection  of 
the  mission,  with  the  stipulation  that  whoever  should 
marry  her  must  return  the  old  chief's  money.  She 
became  one  of  the  most  competent  girls  in  the  Girl's 
Home,  and  later  married  Bofeko,  one  of  the  Christian 
teachers.  Friends  at  home  were  interested  in  her  and 
paid  her  ransom  money. 

This  is  but  one  of  many  such  cases.  This  girl's  lot 
was  cast  where  help  was  near,  but  what  of  the  poor 
girls  who  have  none  to  help  and  must  go  ever  on  and  on 
until  hope  is  dead?  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  light 
dies  out  of  their  faces,  and  a  hopeless  despair  takes  its 
place,  until  in  old  age  their  haggard,  wizened  faces  lack 
all  expression? 

The  life  of  another  girl,  Buta,  is  typical  of  that  of 
all  slave  wives,  though  it  too  was  softened  by  her  prox- 
imity to  the  mission.  The  first  we  knew  of  Buta  she 
belonged  to  a  free  woman,  who  left  her  to  a  young  chief 
of  Bolenge  as  she  was  starting  on  a  journey  up  river. 
These  female  slaves  constitute  the  income  of  their 
owners,  who  regularly  hire  them  out  for  gain.  Thus 
Buta  was  given  to  a  young  man  employed  as  a  sentry 
of  the  Government  up  the  Bosira.  She  accompanied 
him  there  and  was  daily  forced  to  see  his  cruelty.  He 
frequently  brained  women  and  children  for  no  cause 
whatever,  just  to  show  his  authority  and  power  over 
them.     At  the  end  of  the  year  he  found  she  was  to 


40  Bolenge 

become  a  mother  and  returned  her  to  her  master  as  no 
longer  a  suitable  mistress  for  him.  Her  heathen  master 
was  angry,  too,  and  abused  her  shamefully,  because  he 
would  thus  lose  part  of  his  income.  Some  heathen 
women  seeing  her  condition  called  her  and  advised  her, 
being  only  a  slave,  to  take  certain  measures  to  prevent 
motherhood.  This  in  her  extremity  she  did.  Eor  days 
and  weeks  she  lay  at  death's  door,  but  slowly  came  back 
to  life.  In  time  she  became  the  unhappy  mother  of  a 
sickly  baby  boy,  who  could  never  know  a  father.  After 
this  she  was  never  well,  and  her  life  was  made  unbear- 
able. Besides  all  this  she  contracted  yaws,  a  horrible, 
tropical  skin  disease  of  long  duration.  The  baby  in 
turn  contracted  the  same  disease  from  the  mother. 
Her  master  drove  her  from  his  village,  and  one  of  his 
wives  picked  up  the  little  boy  and  dashed  him  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  his  mother's  eyes.  Poor  Buta  took 
the  little  fellow  and  sought  refuge  in  another  distant 
section  of  the  village.  She  was  given  shelter  there  for 
a  few  days,  but  soon  the  women  and  children  avoided 
her  and  did  everything  possible  to  make  her  move  on. 
The  only  other  place  to  which  she  could  move  seemed 
to  be  the  river,  where  she  might  drown  her  sorrows. 
One  day,  however,  she  bethought  herself  of  the  mis- 
sionaries and  came  to  them  with  her  pitiful  story,  which 
proved  to  be  all  too  true.  There  was  then  no  orphanage 
and  no  house  for  girls,  so  she  was  given  a  room  in  a 
shed  built  for  housing  the  sick.  Here  she  lived  some 
time  happily,  herself  and  babe  receiving  daily  medical 
treatment  and  food.  As  soon  as  she  was  able  she  learned 
to  sew  and  helped  earn  her  own  living.  Little  Boimoke, 
her  child,  was  sickly  and  backward  in  talking.     He 


Condition  of  Congo  Women  41 

learned  to  speak  the  first  words  of  his  own  language 
from  the  white  baby  on  the  mission  station.  He  was 
her  constant  playmate  and  became  as  blithe  and  happy 
as  any  child. 

A  little  house  was  moved  and  made  habitable  for 
girls,  as  a  few  little  tots  had  at  last  been  given  into 
our  care.  Buta  proved  an  efficient  matron  and  did  her 
work  faithfully.  She  had  grown  well  and  strong  again 
and  the  whole  expression  of  her  face  had  changed,  for 
she  had  also  entered  the  new  life  in  Christ.  Her  old 
master  witnessed  the  change,  and  came  up  boldly  de- 
manding his  slave,  for  whom  he  professed  to  have  a  deep 
and  abiding  affection.  Of  course,  she  did  not  go.  She 
was  sought  for  by  young  heathen  men,  but  her  unfailing 
answer  was  that  she  was  a  Christian,  and  the  one  to 
whom  she  would  go  must  also  be  a  Christian.  After  a 
year  or  so  she  was  legally  married  to  a  Christian  young 
man,  who  was  very  kind  to  her  and  to  her  child.  All 
went  well  for  a  time,  but  the  old  life  had  undermined 
her  health,  and  the  dread  sleeping  sickness  attacked 
her.  She  clung  tenaciously  to  life,  and  for  eighteen 
months  battled  with  the  disease.  At  one  time  she 
seemed  to  have  conquered  it.  After  a  few  months,  how- 
ever, it  again  developed,  and  this  time  ended  fatally. 
Boimoke  also  became  its  victim,  and  they  were  both 
removed  to  the  sleeping  sickness  camp.  The  afflicted 
mother  watched  her  little  son  slowly  succumb  to  the 
disease,  her  own  faculties  being  already  too  benumbed 
to  realize  what  it  meant.  He  did  not  linger  long,  so 
the  mother  cared  for  him  herself  to  the  very  end  away 
in  their  isolated  house  in  the  forest.  Some  one  went 
daily  to  carry  them  medicine  and  food  and  to  do  what 


42  Bolenge 

could  be  done  to  mitigate  their  condition.  During  all 
this  time  Buta  never  lost  faith,  and  every  Lord's  Day 
she  was  brought  to  the  communion  sendee,  then  taken 
back  again.  She  passed  away  and  all  felt  it  was  for 
the  best,  for  her  earthly  life  had  been  such  as  to  make 
her  fully  appreciate  the  release  from  suffering  in  her 
home  beyond.  Hers  was  a  life  of  sorrow,  but  what 
would  it  have  been  had  she  not  found  friends? 

The  life  of  a  slave  wife  is  not  enviable,  but  it  may 
be  quite  uneventful,  so  long  as  she  keeps  strong  and 
well,  but  her  life  is  inexpressibly  hard  and  sad  when 
she  loses  her  health  and  strength,  and  in  that  land 
where  "pestilence  walketh  at  noon-day"  few  long  re- 
tain their  vigor. 

Unquestioning  obedience  is  required  of  the  heathen 
wives  by  their  husbands.  All  signs  of  disrespect  or 
disobedience  are  promptly  met  with  severe  punishment. 
Such  a  one  may  be  cruelly  beaten,  and  in  the  early 
days,  stocks  in  the  shape  of  beautifully  carved  pillars 
were  built  in  the  houses  of  chiefs.  Here  the  hands  of 
the  obdurate  wife  or  slave  were  pinioned  while  she  re- 
ceived the  stripes  of  a  scourge  made  of  dried  hippo- 
potamus hide,  every  stroke  of  which  cut  into  the  quiv- 
ering flesh.  This  punishment  is  sometimes  varied  by 
use  of  the  slave  stick.  This  consists  of  a  good-sized 
pole  or  log  with  a  natural  fork  at  one  end.  The 
woman's  neck  is  placed  in  this  fork  and  a  wooden  pin 
driven  through  behind,  giving  almost  no  room  for  move- 
ment of  the  head.  This  stick  is  braced  in  the  ground, 
and  thus  with  her  head  pinioned  and  upturned  to  the 
blazing  sun  she  may  be  forced  to  remain  for  days. 
Even  food  and  water  are  refused,  and  the  unsanitary 


Condition  of  Congo  Women  43 

conditions  become  indescribable.  All  this  to  make  a 
wife  more  dutiful  and  lovable  to  her  devoted  husband ! 
The  picture  drawn  is  dark  enough,  and  yet  much 
can  not  be  painted.  It  is  a  relief  to  look  upon  a  con- 
trasting picture  with  brighter  lights  and  a  happier 
subject. 


CHAPTEE   V 
Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People 

The  Nkimdos  have  a  vague  idea  of  a  supreme  being 
who  created  the  world.  Everything  in  nature  not  under- 
stood by  them  is  attributed  to  Nzakomba,  God.  Ab- 
normalities and  deformities  in  children  they  consider 
due  to  Him.  He  is  capable,  in  their  mind,  of  good  or 
evil,  and  they  neither  supplicate  nor  fear  him.  Their 
attitude  is  one  of  ignorance,  and  therefore  of  indif- 
ference. They  have  departed  so  far  from  any  definite 
belief  in  God  that  natural  phenomena  as  the  thunder, 
lightning,  the  falling  of  a  tree,  and  even  minor  inci- 
dents have  in  them  a  superstitious  element.  Such  phe- 
nomena are  not  thought  to  be  caused  by  any  outside 
influence,  but  are  moved  by  some  mysterious  hidden 
force  within  themselves,  as  a  spirit.  The  most  civilized 
man  of  strongest  nerve  would  have  to  spend  but  one 
night  alone  in  that  great  forest,  with  myriad  weird, 
uncanny  sounds  and  unearthly  cries  until  he,  too,  would 
feel  that  there  were  spirits  there.  Sometimes  these 
strange  sounds  are  as  of  some  one  in  distress;  again  as 
though  spirits  of  the  dead  were  signaling  all  around, 
in  voices  low,  then  high.  These  seem  to  the  natives 
to  be  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  come  to  pour  out  their 
woes  and  to  wreak  vengeance  on  those  who  killed  them, 
or  cast  them  forth  to  starve  and  die.     Sometimes  after 

44 


Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People      45 

a  long  period  in  Africa  these  sounds  get  so  on  the 
nerves  of  a  white  person  that  one  wakens  out  of  a 
sound  sleep  in  the  dead  of  night,  with  a  peculiar  sen- 
sation of  fear,  only  to  hear  a  repetition  of  some  hideous, 
prolonged  hoot  or  wail.  It  is  not  even  satisfying  to 
find  out  that  these  proceed  from  owls,  lemurs,  jackals, 
and  even  crocodiles,  the  latter  being  most  unearthly  of 
all.  We,  then,  who  profess  to  have  no  fear,  and  yet  who 
involuntarily  shudder,  need  not  feign  surprise  at  the 
superstitious  fears  of  the  heathen. 

As  a  product  and  outgrowth  of  this  pure  supersti- 
tion, has  come  their  belief  in  ancestral  spirits.  These 
spirits  are  capable  of  returning  in  any  form  to  wreak 
vengeance  on  their  enemies,  to  destroy  crops,  and  to 
take  away  the  spirits  of  children.  In  fact,  the  native 
sees  no  limit  to  their  power  for  bringing  harm.  Con- 
sequently the  funeral  ceremonies  and  orgies  are  pro- 
longed and  intricate,  and  often  horrible.  There  is 
always  the  funeral  procession  of  wailing  mourners, 
professionals  often  being  hired  to  assist.  These  mourn- 
ers go  about  the  streets  of  their  own  and  neighbor- 
ing towns  telling  in  a  mournful  cry  of  the  decease  and 
any  incidents  concerning  it  which  would  be  of  interest. 
Once  heard,  this  hopeless,  despairing  cry  can  never  be 
forgotten.  Should  the  deceased  be  a  woman  in  the 
prime  of  life,  the  women  of  the  nearby  villages,  dressed 
in  all  the  blankets  and  valuable  possessions  procurable, 
march  from  town  to  town  chanting  her  praises.  They 
afterward  pile  quantities  of  food  in  front  of  the  house 
occupied  by  the  deceased.  This  is  done  to  appease  her 
spirit  for  having  to  leave  her  own  gardens  so  soon,  and 
to  prevent  its  returning  to   destroy  all  theirs.     But 


46  Bolenge 

should  the  deceased  be  a  warrior,  a  sham-bat!le  may  be 
carried  on  for  days  to  satisfy  his  spirit  lest  it,  too,  return 
to  destroy  the  people.  Night  is  the  realm  of  these 
spirits,  so  for  weeks  and  weeks  a  drum  is  beaten  all 
night  long  to  keep  them  from  returning.  The  mourners 
meanwhile  fast  and  dress  in  deep  mourning.  This 
costume,  which  consists  of  the  oldest,  blackest  cloth 
obtainable,  they  must  wear  during  all  the  long  period 
of  mourning.  Thus  some  of  the  civilized  customs  can 
be  traced  to  heathen  origin.  They  think  that  the  spirit 
of  a  mother  often  returns  for  a  child.  In  the  village 
of  Bolenge  not  long  ago  a  mother  died,  leaving  a  little 
daughter.  One  night  some  of  the  native  school  chil- 
dren came  up  to  the  Mission  Bungalow  in  very  high 
spirits,  convulsed  with  laughter,  saying  the  husband 
and  father  was  hurling  firebrands  into  the  back  garden 
to  drive  his  wife's  spirit  away  from  coming  to  take  the 
child.  These  heathen  children  had  come  to  realize  the 
fallacy  of  this  belief,  but  to  him  it  was  real  and  awful. 
Night  after  night  he  kept  up  these  methods,  but  without 
avail,  for  the  child  slowly  sickened  and  died.  Out  of 
this  superstition  doubtless  grew  the  human  sacrifice 
at  the  death  of  a  chief.  Slaves  and  wives  were  cast 
into  the  grave  with  their  arms  and  legs  broken,  and 
upon  this  living,  writhing  bed  the  corpse  was  lowered. 
Then  others  were  thrown  in  to  cover  it,  before  filling 
the  grave  with  earth.  Their  implements  for  digging 
are  few,  and  consequently  the  graves  are  shallow.  In 
a  village  not  far  from  Bolenge  one  of  these  sacrificial 
victims  crawled  out.  During  the  night  he  painfully 
dragged  himself  with  his  broken,  bleeding  members  to 
the  next  village,  where  they  found  him  next  day.     So 


Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People     47 

great  was  their  belief  in  the  supernatural  that  they 
dared  not  touch  him,  but  gave  him  whatever  he  asked 
for.  For  years  he  lived  in  this  way,  hopelessly  crippled, 
for  no  one  dared  help  to  straighten  the  broken  bones. 

A  chief  died  near  Bolenge,  and  immediately  after- 
ward a  man-eating  crocodile  appeared  in  the  little  Bo- 
lenge bay.  During  a  few  weeks  it  carried  ofE  some 
fifteen  people.  This  was  believed  to  be  the  spirit  of 
the  dead  chief  returning  for  vengeance,  because  some 
one  in  the  village  had  not  respected  him.  Thus  between 
God  and  man  there  are  vast  numbers  of  spirits  for 
which  they  have  an  intense  fear.  F.  S.  Dobbins 
expresses  it  thus:  "To  their  imaginations  these  spirits 
people  the  darkness  with  hideous  shapes,  poison  the 
light  with  their  presence,  sweep  over  the  plains  in  the 
form  of  wild  beasts,  fill  the  forests,  inhabit  trees,  make 
their  homes  in  the  sea,  the  lakes,  and  rivers;  the  air 
is  full  of  them,  the  earth  teems  with  them ;  fire  is  not 
free  from  their  presence.  To  them  they  attribute  the 
sorrows,  and  the  sufferings,  the  misfortunes,  and  in 
some  cases  the  deaths  of  mankind." 

Besides  the  belief  in  ancestral  spirits  there  is  also  a 
strong  belief  in  demons,  which  may  inhabit  a  man  or 
woman,  causing  them  to  exercise  a  malevolent  influ- 
ence in  the  village,  thus  bringing  sudden  unknown 
diseases  and  death.  This  has  been  regarded  as  witch- 
craft, though  in  reality  the  person  having  this  evil 
power  is  always  spoken  of  as  having  a  demon  or  devil. 
The  effect  is  the  same  as  in  supposed  witchcraft,  and 
the  unfortunate  person  is  sought  out  and  punished. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  cruel  of  their  practices,  for  it 
is  so  unjust.    This  superstition  differs  widely  from  the 


48  Bolenge 

real  demoniacal  possession  wherein  the  person  himself 
is  the  object  of  the  demoniacal  demonstrations.  In  the 
early  days  of  the  work  the  missionaries  saw  many  of 
these  Satanic  manifestations,  strikingly  similar  to  those 
of  New  Testament  times.  This  strange  affliction,  as 
well  as  all  disease,  is  attributed  by  the  natives  to  the 
influence  of  spirits.  In  women  this  takes  the  form  of 
very  strange  actions.  These  women  will  suddenly 
spring  up  and  run  like  wild  animals,  quickly  climb 
into  the  tallest  trees,  and  threaten  to  hurl  themselves 
down.  Then  they  may  as  suddenly  throw  themselves 
into  the  water.  Examples  of  such  possession  have  been 
frequent  in  history.  One  such  was  that  of  the  nuns 
of  Cambrai,  who  were  seized  with  demonomania  "and 
for  four  years  ran  like  dogs  across  the  country,  sprang 
into  the  air  like  birds,  climbed  trees  like  cats,  hung 
on  the  branches,  imitated  the  cries  of  animals,  and 
divined  hidden  things." 

The  product  of  their  superstitious  beliefs  in  spirits 
and  demons  is  the  medicine  man,  or  witch  doctor,  as 
he  is  commonly  called,  and  his  practice  of  fetichism. 
One  could  not  exist  without  the  other,  and  they  bear 
the  same  relation  as  patient,  doctor,  and  medicine. 
This  medicine  man  must  be  the  shrewdest  and  most 
intelligent  man  of  his  tribe,  to  be  able  to  deceive  the 
mass  of  the  people  into  belief  in  his  prophecies,  incan- 
tations, and  auguries.  A  fetich  is  more  properly  spoken 
of  as  medicine.  This  is  the  only  word  for  medicine, 
and  is  used  thus  by  medical  missionaries.  A  fetich  is 
some  material  object  or  concoction  made  by  the  medi- 
cine man,  which  is  thought  to  possess  supernatural 
power.    This  does  not  necessitate  its  being  the  habita- 


CONGO  CURIOS. 


These  were  all  collected  near  Bolenge.  i.  Execution  knife  with 
charmed  handle ;  2.  pipe,  not  an  evidence  of  civilization,  but  a  relic  of 
heathenism ;  3.  battle-ax  of  the  Kassai  (tributary  to  Congo)  ;  4.  ten 
brass  rods,  whose  relative  value  each  is  ten  cents,  but  whose  cost  value 
is  one  cent;  5.  a  fetish  to  protect  from  sickness,  etc.;  6.  a  witch- 
doctor's bell,  which  he  rattles  to  drive  out  evil  spirits— his  medicine 
case;  7.  a  lower  Congo  (river)  fetish  to  protect  as  S;  8.  a  fetish  to 
protect  from  evil  spirits  and  sickness;  9.  a  great  chief's  knife  of 
authority,  used  to  execute  victims  for  the  cannibal  feasts ;  10.  brass 
collar,  worn  by  Bonjenje,  now  a  Christian;  il.  hair-comb,  made  of 
bamboo  splits  tied  with  rattan — hair  combed  once  a  fortnight:  12.  an 
individual  spoon  (teaspoon),  hewn  from  wood;  14.  a  wooden  pillow, 
native  hewn;  15.  a  native  Bolenge  woman's  dress;  16.  a  man's  suit 
of  clothes,  a  strip  of  raflfia  cloth;  17.  fancy  piece  of  raffia  cloth  made 
in  hand  loom  by  native  weaver,  thread  by  thread. 


Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People      49 

tion  of  a  spirit,  but  it  is  only  a  charm.  The  possessor 
does  not  trust  it  implicitly,  for  he  may  have  several, 
when  one,  if  reliable,  would  do  for  all.  A  man  pro- 
cures a  medicine  or  fetich  to  help  him  in  hunting,  to 
protect  him  from  sickness,  or  to  aid  him  against  his 
enemies.  Yet  when  pneumonia  enters  a  village,  the 
one  already  possessing  medicine  to  charm  away  all 
disease  hastens  to  the  medicine  man  for  a  stronger 
protection.  Fetiches  may  also  be  procured  to  bring 
disease  or  destruction  to  an  enemy.  A  man  may  pro- 
cure a  medicine  which  he  hides  in  a  path,  that  all 
who  pass  over  it  may  suddenly  be  stricken  with  some 
disease.  Such  an  instance  really  occurred  on  the  mis- 
sion station  in  the  early  days,  and  all  the  workmen  and 
villagers  were  alarmed.  One  less  superstitious  than 
the  others  dared  to  report  it  to  the  white  man.  He 
promptly  sought  out  the  offender,  and,  after  a  liberal 
application  of  the  fatal  medicine  to  his  body,  bade 
him  throw  it  in  the  river. 

In  the  case  of  supposed  witchcraft  the  witch-doctor 
is  again  called  upon,  though  sometimes  there  is  a  spe- 
cialist sought,  who  is  called  the  Witch-doctor  of  Demons. 
He  is  supposed  to  have  affiliation  with  these  spirits  of 
darkness  and  to  be  able  to  discern  the  witch.  The 
whole  town  is  assembled,  and  the  medicine  man, 
bedecked  with  feathers  and  carrying  a  staff  having  a 
bell  on  one  end,  begins  to  dance  and  chant  his  mum- 
meries. He  continues  this  until  he  falls  down  in  a 
faint  or  trance,  in  which  he  is  supposed  to  see  the 
offender  or  witch.  After  a  time,  while  all  are  waiting 
in  suspense,  he  suddenly  springs  up  and  cries  out  the 
name  of  some  man  or  woman.  This  always  proves  to 
4 


50  Bolenge 

be  one  who  is  at  enmity  with  the  family  upon  whom 
the  sudden  disease  or  calamity  has  fallen.  He  always 
inquires  beforehand  if  there  is  any  one  whom  they 
suspect,  and  this  is  the  opportunity  for  them  to  avenge 
themselves  on  an  enemy  or  stranger  in  the  village.  The 
culprit  is  dragged  forth,  and,  as  a  final  test,  takes  a 
poisonous  draught,  which  will  prove  his  guilt  or  inno- 
cence. He  is  seized  with  convulsions  if  guilty,  and  is 
simply  nauseated  if  innocent.  This  gives  the  friends 
of  the  suspected  person  a  chance  to  bribe  the  witch- 
doctor. If  the  bribe  is  sufficiently  munificent  he  will 
substitute  an  emetic  in  place  of  poison.  Then,  if  one 
is  found  innocent,  the  whole  procedure  must  be  re- 
peated until  the  guilty  one  is  found.  When  proved 
guilty  a  post  mortem  examination  is  held,  and  if  any 
abnormality  be  found,  such  as  a  tumor,  the  proof  of 
his  having  been  a  witch  is  sufficient  and  undeniable. 
The  poison  test  is  also  given  for  stealing,  sometimes 
being  put  into  the  eyes,  causing  blindness  and  often 
death  from  the  agony. 

However,  when  an  attempt  i?  made  to  heal  one 
having  demoniacal  possession,  the  method  is  very  dif- 
ferent. This  possession  sometimes  takes  a  certain  form 
causing  the  one  possessed  to  dance.  She  is  forced  to 
keep  on  dancing  until  she  falls  down  in  a  dead  faint. 
This  resembles  the  strange  occurrence  at  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  in  1374,  where  on  a  mid-summer's  day  a 
troop  of  men  and  women  rushed  into  the  city,  and 
in  the  public  square  and  churches  danced  with  the 
utmost  violence  for  hours,  till  at  last  they  sank  to  the 
ground  exhausted.  This  ceased  when  an  order  for 
banishment  was  proclaimed.  It  re-appeared  in  Stras- 
burg  in  1418,  and  the  afflicted,  according  to  Paracelsus, 


Superstitions  of  the  Congo  People     51 

could  do  nothing  but  dance  until  they  were  dead  or 
cured.  A  case  similar  to  this  was  that  of  a  young 
woman  of  Bolenge  who  was  thus  possessed,  and  whom 
they  nightly  compelled  to  keep  on  dancing  until  one 
night  they  thought  she  was  dead  and  called  the  mis- 
sionaries to  bring  her  to  life  again. 

The  hairs  of  an  elephant's  tail,  when  prepared 
with  a  special  charm  attached,  are  considered  very 
valuable  in  exorcising  this  spirit.  When  the  posses- 
sion takes  other  forms  various  expedients  are  resorted 
to,  if  the  aflSicted  be  of  special  value  to  the  husband  or 
master.  Enormous  sums  are  paid  out  to  various  witch- 
doctors and  the  woman  is  put  through  all  manner  of 
tests  to  remove  the  demon.  As  a  last  resort  a  pit  is 
digged  and  filled  with  water,  into  which  the  woman 
is  put  to  drown  the  demon.  She  is  completely  sub- 
merged, the  medicine  man  keeping  her  head  under  by 
placing  his  foot  on  it  until  she  is  nearly  drowned. 
Then  she  is  hauled  out  and  drums  are  beaten.  If  she 
recover  the  demon  is  exorcised,  and  that  is  the  end 
of  the  possession.  It  is  noteworthy  that  slaves  end 
women  of  secondary  importance  are  never  thus  af- 
flicted. 

At  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  the  power  of  cast- 
ing out  devils  was  claimed,  like  the  power  of  working 
miracles,  as  one  of  the  tests  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
It  has  been  universal  to  attribute  nervous  maladies  and 
mysterious  diseases  to  demoniacal  agencies.  Modem 
spiritualism  is  a  present-day  example  of  the  same 
thing,  and  presupposes  a  belief  in  spirits. 

In  treating  ulcers,  a  spirit  in  the  form  of  a  serpent 
is  drawn  from  the  ulcer  to  the  astonished  gaze  of  the 
onlookers,  though  a  close  observer  might  have  detected 


52  Bolenge 

it  beforehand  wound  up  in  grass  in  the  ■witch-doctor's 
medicine  case.  For  internal  diseases,  bits  of  hair,  nails, 
a  bit  of  old  cloth,  and  various  horrible  ingredients  make 
up  the  medicine.  This  is  put  into  a  tiny  antelope  horn 
and  suspended  from  the  neck  of  the  patient.  Charmed 
bracelets  are  worn  for  rheumatism.  The  many  treat- 
ments for  diseases  would  fill  several  large  volumes. 
All  are  deceit  and  trickery. 

Aside  from  ancestral  spirits  and  evil  demons,  the 
Nkundo  natives  believe  in  another  class  of  spirits  or 
good  demons,  which  bring  good  luck  and  prosperity. 
The  natives  do  not  willingly  speak  of  any  of  these 
things.  Until  there  is  a  native  church  freed  from  these 
beliefs  by  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God  and  His  rela- 
tion to  those  whom  He  has  created,  the  real  secret 
ideas  of  their  life  can  never  be  ascertained.  A  native 
always  denies  everything  of  the  sort  when  asked  about 
it.  Our  knowledge  of  the  good  spirit  is  the  most 
indefinite  because  of  reluctance  of  the  natives  to  speak 
of  them  to  an  outsider.  We  know,  however,  that  each 
family  has  one  such,  which  may  be  in  the  form  of  a 
crocodile  or  other  animal,  but  which  is  known  to 
members  of  that  family  only.  In  the  secret  hours  of 
the  night  this  good  spirit  is  supposed  to  bring  canoe 
loads,  or  huge  baskets  of  currency,  or  new  wives  and 
slaves.  If  there  is  aught  of  the  idea  of  worship  still 
existing  in  the  minds  of  these  people,  it  is  connected 
with  these  their  personal,  guardian  spirits.  They  are 
the  only  agents  believed  to  bring  them  good  and  not 
evil.  If  the  only  result  obtained  by  missionary  efforts 
were  the  dispelling  of  these  myriad  superstitions  and 
dark  beliefs,  the  efforts  would  be  amply  justified  and 
rewarded. 


CHAPTER   VI 
A  Search  for  Words 

As  NOTED  before,  the  languages  of  the  different 
tribes  composing  the  Bantu  race  are  remarkably  sim- 
ilar at  some  points.  This  proves  the  kinship  of  all 
the  tribes  more  than  their  features,  their  religious 
ideas,  or  manner  of  life.  The  more  closely  one  studies 
this  family  of  languages,  the  more  he  is  impressed  with 
its  beauty,  flexibility,  and  wondrous  power  of  expres- 
sion. These  languages  are  soft,  flowing,  and  very 
musical.  The  grammatical  forms  are  remarkably  reg- 
ular and  systematic.  Certain  general  principles  underlie 
all  these  languages.  The  languages  differ  in  vocabulary, 
so  that  one  tribe  will  not  understand  another;  just  as 
the  English,  German,  and  French,  though  belonging 
to  the  same  language  family,  are  mutually  unintel- 
ligible. 

One  of  the  most  distinguishing  features  of  this 
family  of  languages  is  an  alliterative  prefix  to  the  noun 
stems,  and,  as  a  particle,  is  prefixed  to  words  or 
clauses.  This  is  a  particular  letter  or  syllable  which 
occurs  throughout  the  sentence,  and  is  the  only  means 
by  which  the  agreement  of  words  in  a  sentence  is  shown. 
This  is  called  a  Concording  Prefix.  There  are  from 
eight  to  eleven  classes  of  nouns  in  each  language, 
divided  according  to  singular  and  plural  prefixes.    Lon- 

53 


54  Bolenge 

kundo,  the  language  of  the  Nkundos,  has  been  divided 
into  eleven  classes,  which  could  be  condensed  into  eight 
but  for  the  difficulty  to  the  learner.  Take  this  clause 
from  the  Lord's  prayer:  "Jikulaka  jike  jiye;"  that  is. 
Thy  kingdom  come;  "ji"  is  in  jike,  thy,  and  jiye,  come. 

These  languages,  though  similar  in  construction, 
differ  so  widely  that  every  one  must  be  studied  sep- 
arately, as  French  and  English  must  be.  When  the 
mission  at  Bolenge  was  taken  over,  very  little  had  been 
done  on  the  language,  and  that  little  was  so  imperfect 
that  it  had  to  be  put  aside.  Since  that  time  our  mis- 
sionaries have  been  slowly  working  at  a  grammar  and 
various  translations.  This  has  been  difficult  when  the 
work  itself  has  demanded  so  much  time  and  strength 
that  little  was  left  for  this  important  task.  After  ten 
years  a  small  beginning  has  been  made.  A  Synopsis 
of  the  Lonlmndo  Language,  a  translation  of  the  Gos- 
pels, several  Epistles,  some  Old  Testament  stories,  and 
several  school  books  have  been  completed.  The  work 
needing  to  be  done  is  appalling,  and  the  best  linguists 
of  the  day  would  here  find  ample  scope  for  all  their 
powers. 

The  learning  of  the  language  was  begun  under 
great  difficulties.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  mis- 
sionaries could  speak  intelligibly,  yet  learn  they  must 
and  did.  Note-books  and  pencils  were  painfully  evi- 
dent, as  day  by  day  words  were  noted  down,  spelled 
according  to  Eoosevelt,  phonetically,  and  their  sup- 
posed meanings  appended.  Many  mistakes  were  un- 
avoidably made,  especially  in  verb  forms,  where  the 
language  is  so  flexible.  Many  words  are  alike,  save 
for  a  difference  in  accent,  or  tone,  or  vowel  sound,  and 


A  Search  for  Words  55 

this  was  not  easy  to  detect.  For  instance,  meka  may 
mean  to  try  or  to  groan;  somia,  to  buy  or  to  borrow; 
ertiba,  to  bend  over,  to  sing,  or  to  blow  the  nose ;  jidongo, 
a  drop  of  blood,  or  a  line,  or  a  row;  nl-oto,  a  centipede, 
or  one  thousand;  aoya,  he  is  coming,  will  come,  or  has 
come;  ikokongo,  a  small  cockroach,  a  small  dish,  a 
small  leaf,  or  an  unspeakable  curse.  These  all  differ 
in  some  way,  but  it  takes  years  to  train  the  ear  to 
hear  and  the  memory  to  retain  all  of  these  fine  dis- 
tinctions. The  student  often  becomes  discouraged,  but 
the  langTiage  is  so  intensely  interesting  that  these 
difficulties  but  spur  him  on  to  master  it.  The  reader 
must  understand  that  these  people  have  no  written  lan- 
guage whatever.  The  missionaries  must  first  learn  their 
spoken  language,  and  then  make  for  them  a  written 
language  from  it. 

Lonkundo,  like  the  other  languages,  is  euphonic, 
and  many  unique  changes  are  made  for  euphony, 
though  always  according  to  rule.  More  elisions  occur 
than  in  any  other  of  this  family  of  languages.  A 
native  seldom,  if  ever,  speaks  a  sentence  in  full.  Here 
also  definite  principles  and  rules  underlie  each  elision 
of  a  letter  or  syllable,  though  some  of  these  principles 
have  been  difficult  to  formulate  and  classify. 

The  verb,  as  in  other  very  primitive  languages,  ex- 
presses by  varied  forms  much  that  in  modern  lan- 
guages is  expressed  by  prepositions,  adverbs,  adjectives, 
and  clauses.  The  possible  forms,  combinations  of 
forms,  conjugations,  and-  derivatives  of  one  verb  would 
easily  fill  a  volume. 

There  is  little  difficulty  experienced  in  discovering 
concrete  names,  but  when  searching  for  abstract  ideas 


56  Bolenge 

or  qualities  the  student  seems  working  against  a  blank 
wall.  It  was  some  years  before  the  word  for  salvation 
was  discovered,  and  then  accidentally  by  overhearing 
some  one  speaking  of  another  being  saved  from  drown- 
ing. Many  different  expressions  were  used  for  repent- 
ance before  the  right  one  was  found,  such  expressions 
as:  to  turn  the  hack  on,  to  turn  around  completely, 
having  been  made  to  do  this  duty  before.  The  idea 
of  patience,  like  many  of  these  abstractions,  is  not  in 
every-day  use,  and  not  until  the  Epistle  of  James  was 
being  translated  for  the  Evangelists'  Class,  in  1906,  was 
this  valuable  word  found. 

There  is  a  paucity  of  words  expressing  morality  or 
the  nobler  virtues.  The  life  of  the  people  has  had 
little  to  do  with  these  virtues,  hence  their  inability  to 
put  these  ideas  into  words.  There  is  no  word  for 
virtue,  neither  is  there  one  for  virgin;  so  ebunani  has 
had  to  be  used  for  the  latter.  It  means  a  girl  or  woman 
living  with  her  parents,  without  a  husband  at  the  time, 
though  she  may  have  had  many.  It  refers  simply  to 
her  single  state  without  reference  to  her  morality.  Yet 
here  as  in  other  instances,  and  doubtless  as  in  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  our  own  and  other  lan- 
guages, a  secular  word  can  readily  be  converted  into  a 
sacred  use.  There  is  really  then  no  idea  which  can  not 
be  expressed,  and  often  far  more  forcibly  and  poetically 
than  in  English.  Those  who  have  learned  to  speak 
and  to  think  in  this  language  feel  there  are  vast  pos- 
sibilities of  development  as  time  goes  on. 

The  natives  have  no  surname,  though  their  name 
is  often  changed  when  passing  out  of  childhood.  After 
the  birth  of  a  first-born  son  or  daughter  the  father 


A  Search  for  Words  57 

and  mother  are  honorably  called  the  father  or  mother 
of  said  child.  In  polygamy  it  would  be  rather  am- 
biguous for  a  man  to  speak  of  his  wife  as  Mrs.,  and 
would  remind  one  of  Mark  Twain  shaking  hands  col- 
lectively with  the  wife  of  Brigham  Young.  Frequently 
a  name  runs  down  through  a  family,  both  girls  and 
boys  being  called  by  it.  Then  again  a  child  may  be 
called  after  some  noted  appellation  of  the  father,  as 
lyohansombo,  the  faithful  medical  assistant  at  Bo- 
lenge,  whose  father  was  a  famous  hunter  of  wild  boars, 
whence  his  name.  Slaves  are  almost  always  given 
some  nick-name,  after  which  their  own  name,  if  they 
ever  had  one,  is  forever  forgotten.  Some  of  these  names 
are  leopard,  parrot,  elephant,  hippopotamus,  monkey,  a 
piece  of  pepper,  and  so  on.  Those  who  were  bought 
to  be  sacrificed  at  the  death  of  their  husband  or  master 
were  then  and  there  given  names  which  meant  taboo, 
or  set  apart.  These  were  compelled  to  live,  always 
knowing  what  their  death  would  be  should  they  sur- 
vive their  master. 

When  missionaries  arrive  one  of  the  first  things  the 
natives  do  is  to  find  applicable  names  for  them.  These 
are  usually  very  appropriate  as:  Strong  man.  Clever 
artisan.  Tall  man,  Breaker  of  forests.  Chief  of  witch- 
doctors. Favorite  wife.  Twin,  Last  born.  Glasses,  Grand- 
father, etc. 

The  native  literature,  though  unwritten,  is  very  rich 
in  historical  tales.  They  have  folk-lore  tales  which 
outrival  those  of  Joel  Chandler  Harris,  and  proverbs 
without  number.  Some  of  the  latter  have  been  collected 
and  translated  by  our  missionaries,  and  have  been  made 
into  an  interesting  leaflet  called  "Proverbs  of  Upper 


58  Bolenge 

Congo  Tribes,"  by  Prof.  Frederick  Starr,  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago.  The  natives  are  born  orators,  and  cer- 
tain of  them  excel  in  story-telling.  Some  of  the  historic 
tales,  which  savor  of  their  previous  proximity  to  other 
nations,  require  several  long  evenings  to  relate.  At 
such  a  time  a  whole  village  will  be  gathered  around 
the  camp  fire  listening  as  the  story  is  recited,  often 
in  song.  One  of  these  is  the  life  story  of  a  wonderful 
man  who  was  born  in  an  extraordinary  way  and  whose 
whole  life  was  spent  in  miraculous  doings.  This  seems 
to  savor  of  a  far  back,  indistinct  knowledge  of  the 
Christ.  Another  is  the  tale  of  two  brothers,  one  of 
whom  was  sold  into  slavery  far  from  home,  and  who 
there  became  a  favorite  of  his  master.  Later  his  elder 
brother  came  to  redeem  him,  but  he  refused,  saying  he 
had  a  good  home  and  a  wife  and  did  not  desire  to 
return,  being  well  content  with  his  lot.  However,  soon 
after  his  master  dies,  and  he  who  refused  freedom  and 
redemption  was  sacrificed  at  the  master's  death,  mean- 
while deeply  repenting  and  lamenting  his  lack  of  wis- 
dom. The  native  evangelists  recite  these  tales  in  their 
original  and  interesting  way  in  preaching  to  heathen 
audiences.  When  the  interest  is  strong  and  excite- 
ment high,  they  will  liken  the  tale  to  the  teachings 
of  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  This  carries  the  truth 
home  with  a  power  none  can  gainsay.  It  is  the  same 
with  the  native  proverbs,  many  of  them  being  pecul- 
iarly applicable.  A  good  preacher,  whether  native  or 
missionary,  makes  frequent  use  of  them  to  impress  the 
lesson  being  taught  or  to  intensify  a  strong  point. 

Naturally  these  people  learn  to  love  the  parables 
and  miracles  of  Christ  and  use  them  most  effectively, 


A  Search  for  Words  59 

often  showing  great  originality  in  thought  and  appli- 
cation. 

Eecently  a  pamphlet  by  Charles  J.  Montgomery, 
entitled  "Survivors  From  the  Cargo  of  the  Negro  Slave 
Yacht  'Wanderer/  "  has  called  our  notice  to  the  char- 
acteristic features  of  the  Bantu  language,  which  helps 
to  prove  the  kinship  of  that  race.  It  is  the  account  of 
the  pleasure  yacht  "Wanderer,"  which  ended  its  career 
as  a  slaver,  bringing  to  the  United  States,  in  1858,  a 
cargo  of  slaves  from  Africa.  This  was  half  a  century 
after  the  importation  of  slaves  into  the  States  had  been 
forbidden.  Many  of  these  slaves  were  totally  unlike 
those  previously  brought,  and  from  what  the  few  who 
still  survive  can  remember  of  their  native  language,  it 
is  proved  beyond  a  doubt  that  they  were  Bantus,  taken 
from  the  section  now  occupied  by  the  Belgian  Colony 
of  the  Congo.  Many  of  their  words  are  identical  with 
the  languages  spoken  in  Lower  Congo.  Many  of  these 
were  lighter  in  color  than  the  Negro,  less  given  to 
thieving,  but  unwilling  to  wear  clothing  or  to  discon- 
tinue polygamy.  Some  even  now  would  like  to  return 
to  their  old  home. 

Let  these  few  remnants  of  that  race  in  our  own 
country  be  a  constant,  unceasing  appeal  to  all  Christen- 
dom, to  carry  the  gospel  of  freedom  to  the  Congo  home 
of  these  people,  where  the  race  is  still  bound  in  a 
worse  slavery.  May  the  ships  of  peace  carry  the  mes- 
sengers of  life  until  the  Bible  shall  be  translated 
into  every  language  of  this  greatest  family  of  languages ; 
until  all  shall  have  heard  in  their  own  tongue  wherein 
they  were  born,  the  wondrous  message  of  redeeming 
love! 


CHAPTER   VII 
The  Evangel  of  Medicine 

The  first  great  victory  of  medical  missions  on  the 
Congo  was  when  the  witch-doctor  was  overcome.  The 
witch-doctor,  as  the  Medicine-man,  is  both  doctor  and 
exorcist  in  this  system  of  demon  religion.  It  will 
readily  be  seen  that  the  whole  life  of  the  superstitious 
heathen  is  bound  up  in  this  great  high  priest  of  medi- 
cine. He  makes  all  the  charms  to  protect  the  people 
from  evil  spirits,  or  to  cure  their  sickness.  Before 
aught  can  be  done  to  bring  the  people  to  truer  views, 
they  must  first  be  convinced  of  the  utter  falsity  of  the 
witch-doctors.  At  first  this  would  seem  an  impossi- 
bility. Alexander  Campbell,  in  his  address  on  Demon- 
ology,  says:  "That  a  class  of  beings  designated  demons 
has  been  an  element  of  the  faith,  an  object  of  dread 
and  veneration,  of  all  ages  and  nations,  as  far  back  as 
memory  reaches,  no  one  who  believes  in  a  spiritual 
system — no  one  who  regards  the  volumes  of  divine  in- 
spiration, or  who  is  even  partially  acquainted  with 
Pagan  and  Jewish  antiquity,  can  reasonably  doubt." 
All  noted  Pagan  authors:  the  Jewish  historians,  Jo- 
sephus  and  Philo ;  the  Christian  fathers,  Justin  Martyr, 
and  others,  all  confirm  this.  Thus  the  whole  world 
had  a  definite  belief  in  the  existence  of  familiar  spirits 
and  demons,  as  proved  by  ancient  literature  and  tradi- 

60 


The  Evangel  of  Medicine  61 

tion.  The  beginning  of  the  overthrow  of  this  faith 
was  the  life  and  teaching  of  the  heralds  of  salvation, 
who  from  the  first  day  of  their  mission  to  the  last  east 
out  demons  and  in  every  way  hindered  and  restrained 
the  influence  of  Satan.  Thus  the  power  of  demons  is 
destroyed  as  far  as  Christians  are  concerned,  and  is 
restrained  in  every  land  where  the  gospel  has  entered. 
In  this  respect  Africa  is  the  Dark  Continent,  where 
the  reign  of  the  demon  is  still  a  reality. 

It  was  that  first  great  medical  missionary  who 
broke  the  enchantment,  drove  the  demons  out  of  the 
hearts  of  men,  and  destroyed  their  power  as  he  brought 
healing  for  body  and  soul.  In  every  land  the  story 
is  the  same,  and  long  before  human  science  can  be 
understood  by  the  primitive  mind,  the  gospel  has  driven 
demons  away,  and  thus  broken  the  power  of  the  (spirit) 
doctor.  No  agency  is  more  potent  in  this  day,  even 
as  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man,  than  the  medical 
missionary.  Nowhere  is  this  more  apparent  than  at 
Bolenge  and  in  the  surrounding  territory. 

At  Bolenge  resided  the  most  famous  of  witch- 
doctors. To  this  witch-doctor  resorted  the  whole  coun- 
try for  hundreds  of  miles.  Before  the  coming  of  the 
missionary,  his  authority  and  power  were  unquestioned, 
and  his  name,  Bonkanza,  was  a  household  word, 

Bonkanza's  life  was  a  rare  combination  of  trickery 
and  deceit,  with  geniality  and  hospitality.  His  was  a 
family  of  the  real  nobility,  being  intelligent,  shrewd, 
and  possessing  rare  insight.  His  own  mother  had 
excelled  the  other  women  of  her  tribe  in  wisdom  and 
tender-heartedness,  a  characteristic  rare  in  a  heathen 
woman.     Old  Bonkanza,  with  almost  prophetic  vision, 


62  Bolenge 

saw  in  the  coming  of  the  white  man  ultimate  good  for 
his  race.  He  impressed  upon  his  children,  to  the  day 
of  his  death,  the  importance  of  their  ever  being  friends 
of  the  missionaries  and  accepting  their  teaching.  He 
did  not  then  realize  that  it  meant  the  eventual  over- 
throw of  his  power. 

So,  for  a  long  time,  this  old  man,  stately  and  self- 
possessed,  tried  to  keep  up  the  practice  of  his  nefarious 
profession  and  yet  be  a  friend  of  the  missionary,  resent- 
ing interference  with  his  practice,  but  not  dreaming 
that  his  authority  or  skill  could  be  questioned.  Some 
time  before  the  advent  of  our  own  missionaries  at 
Bolenge  old  Bonkanza  had  been  convinced  of  his  defeat, 
as  the  white  man's  medicine  had  proved  stronger  than 
his,  and  he  surrendered  graciously,  burning  the  contents 
of  his  charmed  medicine  case,  and  desiring  himself 
to  become  a  Christian.  The  question,  however,  of  his 
multitudinous  wives  and  slaves  caused  him  to  hesitate, 
though  he  offered  to  give  them  all  to  his  eldest  son. 
He,  however,  never  again  took  up  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine, and  lived  up  to  the  light  as  he  saw  it. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mis- 
sion the  pioneers  had  redeemed  many  slaves,  and  these 
constituted  a  small  colony,  with  whom  they  worked  until 
such  time  as  they  could  get  a  hold  on  the  native  resi- 
dents of  the  village.  Being  under  the  direct  surveil- 
lance and  care  of  the  missionary,  these  boys  and  girls 
professed  their  faith  in  their  rescuer's  religion,  and 
were  organized  into  a  little  church,  but  upon  the  influ- 
ence of  the  missionary  being  taken  away,  or  in  time 
of  temptation,  these  young  folks  fell  away  and  went 
back  to  heathenism  worse  than  before.     This  did  not 


The  Evangel  of  Medicine  63 

recommend  Christianity  to  the  heathen  at  large,  and 
sad  days  came  upon  the  little  mission.  The  eldest 
son  of  old  Bonkanza,  Bosekola  by  name,  saw  his  oppor- 
tunity and  took  up  the  mantle  laid  off  by  his  father, 
and  began  the  practice  of  medicine  or  fetichism  in 
his  father's  stead,  finding  a  large  practice  awaiting 
him. 

So  at  the  beginning  of  our  work  here  was  a  power 
for  evil  not  easily  to  be  set  aside,  for  Bosekola  had 
determined  to  let  nothing  interfere  with  his  lucrative 
profession.  The  natives  had  become  suspicious  of  the 
white  man's  medicine,  and  if  in  an  extremity  they  came 
to  him,  they  always  turned  to  ask  for  a  "dash"  or 
gift,  feeling  they  had  done  the  white  doctor  a  favor 
deserving  of  remuneration.  It  was  like  daring  to  take 
a  poison  test  at  the  risk  of  their  life.  Little  by  little 
their  confidence  was  gained,  as  horrible,  incurable  ulcers 
responded  to  strong  germicides  and  disinfectants.  They 
stood  amazed  as  fevers  and  chills  subsided.  These  were 
diseases  thought  to  be  caused  by  spirits  and  demon  pos- 
session. They  soon  gave  way  to  systematic  treatment 
as  the  wonderful  power  of  santonine  was  revealed. 
For  years  all  treatments  and  medical  services  were,  as 
in  New  Testament  days,  given  free  of  charge,  to  win 
the  confidence  of  the  people  and  to  give  an  opportunity 
to  prepare  the  soil  for  sowing  the  seed  of  the  Kingdom. 

In  the  meantime  Bosekola  was  neither  dead  nor 
sleeping,  but  following  up  everywhere  he  could  as  the 
sower  of  tares,  trying  to  nourish  the  old  superstitions, 
and  warning  the  patients  of  the  white  doctor  of  their 
immediate  death  if  they  persisted  in  his  treatments. 
At  one  time  one  of  the  mission  workmen  was  seized 


64  Boleno-e 


o^ 


with  pneumonia.  Bosekola  saw  his  chance.  In  hap- 
pening to  pass  the  house  of  the  patient,  Ise  Yela,  he 
stopped  to  tell  him  that  as  he  was  passing  through  the 
forest  that  day  he  had  seen  one  lone  fruit  on  a  tree, 
and  that  when  this  fruit  fell,  he,  the  sick  man,  would 
surely  die.  Ise  Yela  was  frightened  and  thoroughly 
believed  his  death  knell  had  been  sounded,  so  great  is 
their  superstitious  belief  in  signs.  News  of  this  came 
to  the  white  man's  ear^,  however,  and  Bosekola  was  sent 
for  and  compelled  to  remain  at  the  Mission  Bungalow 
until  he  told  the  people  that  the  curse  he  had  pro- 
nounced was  untrue.  This  he  finally  did  before  many 
witnesses.  This  was  not  sufficient  to  remove  the  fear 
of  death  from  the  mind  of  the  patient.  As  something 
had  to  be  done  quickly  to  restore  his  confidence,  a  lib- 
eral application  of  blistering  and  a  large  dose  of  san- 
tonine  was  administered.  Both  of  these  had  the  desired 
effect,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  white  doctor  triumphed 
over  the  craftiness  of  the  witch-doctor.  As  predicted 
by  the  medical  missionary,  a  huge  tumor  (a  blister) 
appeared  suddenly  on  one  side  of  the  patient,  from 
which  a  large  quantity  of  water  exuded,  and  besides  the 
promised  effect  of  the  santonine  was  sure.  So  Ise 
Yela  felt  the  demon  had  been  exorcised,  and  that  he 
would  recover.  Of  course  great  care  was  taken  of  him 
for  many  days,  but  the  tide  was  turned.  He  came 
to  know  the  deceit  practiced  upon  him  by  the  witch- 
doctor, and  gave  up  his  faith  in  him  from  that  hour. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  downfall  of  Bosekola  at 
Bolenge,  though  he  still  practiced  his  trickery  in  the 
distant  villages. 

About  a  year  after  this,  while  the  white  doctor  and 


An   African  Witch-doctor. 


The  Evangel  of  Medicine  65 

his  wife  and  baby  girl  were  alone  on  the  station,  old 
Bonkanza,  the  father,  came  one  day  in  great  excite- 
ment, begging  the  doctor  to  come  see  his  wife  who  was 
in  a  precarious  condition.  Every  heathen  method  had 
failed  to  relieve.  Seizing  his  medicine  cases  and  bag 
of  instruments  the  young  doctor  hastened  to  her  relief 
and  in  a  short  time  returned,  followed  by  a  crowd  of 
admiring  natives.  The  case  had  been  a  simple  one,  but 
the  result  meant  more  than  any  one  then  dreamed  of; 
for  it  gained  the  real  gratitude  of  old  Bonkanza  and 
his  family.  This  was  the  opening  long  desired  to  bring 
medical  relief  to  womankind.  Many  of  the  heathen 
practices  to  which  expectant  mothers  are  subjected  by 
the  old  midwives  are  too  horrible  to  relate,  but  from 
this  time  we  were  always  called  in  cases,  of  emergency. 
The  power  of  surgery  was  especially  efficacious  in 
undermining  superstition. 

Ever  afterward  Bosekola  himself  would  bring  any 
member  of  his  own  family  to  the  doctor  for  treatment. 
One  evening  he  came  and  seated  himself  beside  us  on 
the  front  veranda,  and  spoke  confidentially  of  his  life. 
He  said:  "I  will  not  practice  in  Bolenge  any  more, 
this  is  your  parish.  I  know  my  practice  is  all  lies 
and  deceit,  and  when  I  or  my  wives  are  sick  we  will 
come  to  you,  but,  of  course,  when  they  call  me  far 
away,  I  will  not  despise  the  money  and  refuse." 

Old  Bonkanza  died,  and  Bosekola  was  not  left  long 
to  pursue  the  profession  he  freely  confessed  was  fraud- 
ulent. He  never  forsook  his  practice.  Before  he  died, 
being  smitten  with  sleeping  sickness,  he  called  to  him 
his  younger  brother  Njoji,  to  whom  he  consigned  all  his 
costumes  and  his  charmed  medicine  bag,  and  explained 
6 


66  Bolenge 

to  him  all  his  secrets,  admonishing  him  to  take  up 
the  practice  and  keep  up  the  family  name.  How  Njoji 
followed  the  instructions  of  his  elder  brother  will  be 
told  in  a  later  chapter,  being  the  story  of  a  wondrous 
transformation. 

Belief  in  demons,  witch-doctors,  and  fetiches  had 
received  a  deathblow  in  that  locality,  though  it  was 
strong  as  ever  where  the  missionaries  had  not  gone, 
and  still  is,  and  will  ever  be  until  the  gospel  has  been 
carried  to  the  remotest  man.  Their  manner  of  life 
renders  them  an  easy  prey  to  every  form  of  loathsome 
disease,  and  now  that  superstitious  barriers  were  broken 
down,  this  afforded  and  still  affords  the  medical  mis- 
sionary a  great  opportunity  to  make  an  opening  for 
the  gospel.  As  Bolenge  had  for  years  the  only  medical 
missionary  within  a  radius  of  eight  hundred  miles  in 
any  direction,  his  services  were  in  demand  by  mis- 
sionaries, government  officials,  traders,  Catholic  priests, 
and  sisters,  as  well  as  natives. 

On  account  of  the  treacherous  climate  there  are 
fewer  medical  missionaries  in  Congo  than  in  almost 
any  other  occupied  mission  field,  yet  nowhere  are  they 
so  much  needed.  The  policy  of  the  Foreign  Christian 
Missionary  Society  to  send  a  doctor  or  doctors  to 
every  new  station  opened  is  a  wise  one.  May  the  med- 
ical volunteers  of  America  rise  to  meet  this  great  op- 
portunity, and  enter  this  wide  field  of  service ! 

Whereas  a  few  short  years  ago  the  natives  asked 
pay  for  taking  the  white  doctor's  medicine,  they  now 
come  a  hundred  miles  by  canoe  and  three  and  four 
hundred  of  miles  by  steamer  for  treatment,  gladly  pay- 
ing for  the  same.    This  ministry  of  healing  has  been  a 


,The  Evangel  of  Medicine  67 

great  factor  in  reaching  the  hearts  of  the  heathen-,  for 
while  relieving  their  miseries,  the  missionary  relates  to 
them  the  story  of  the  Great  Physician,  who  while  He 
came  to  heal  the  souls  of  mankind,  also  ministered  to 
their  suffering,  diseased  bodies.  It  is  a  singularly 
appealing  message  to  them. 

Sleeping  sickness,  the  great  scourge  of  the  Congo, 
is  a  menace  to  the  white  residents  as  well  as  to  the 
natives.  Sleeping  sickness,  or  African  lethargy,  is 
localized  in  the  tropical  belt  of  Africa,  being  especially 
severe  in  the  Congo  Basin  and  Uganda  Protectorate. 
During  the  last  few  years  it  has  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  all  the  world  from  the  rapid  and  ravaging 
extent  of  its  influence.  In  the  Congo  and  in  Uganda, 
where  it  was  unknown  nine  years  ago,  it  has  depopu- 
lated whole  towns  and  sections  with  a  relentlessness  and 
horror  second  only  to  the  terrible  slave-raiding  expe- 
ditions. 

For  years  the  cause  of  this  strange  disease  was  un- 
known, but  Sleeping  Sickness  Commissions  were  sent 
to  Uganda  and  to  Congo,  and  the  cause  was  demon- 
strated to  be  a  microscopic  blood  parasite  called  a 
trypanosome.  The  transmitting  agency  of  this  parasite 
is  a  blood-sucking  fly — the  tsetse — which  injects  the 
blood  thus  obtained  into  the  next  victim,  who  in  turn 
develops  the  disease.  The  tsetse  has  very  much  the 
same  relation  to  sleeping  sickness  that  the  mosquito 
has  to  malaria,  except  that  the  tsetse  is  a  mere  carrying 
agent,  the  parasite  being  transmitted  by  the  probosis, 
while  the  malaria  germ  develops  in  the  stomach  of  the 
mosquito  before  being  transmitted. 

The  symptoms  as  described  by  Dr.  Dye  are,  "apathy 


68  Bolenge 

and  listlessness  to  an  extreme  degree.  Patients  possess 
an  inordinate  appetite,  and  as  a  cruel  irony  of  their 
condition  they  beg  for  food  when  they  are  so  weak 
and  drowsy  that  they  can  not  eat  it.  Later  on  they 
simply  lie  in  a  profound  stupor.  Some  cases  become 
terribly  emaciated,  veritable  walking  skeletons,  wliile 
others  are  dropsical.  Swelling  of  the  lymphatic  glands 
is  a  constant  symptom,  and  the  native  medicine  man 
in  some  parts  of  the  country  considers  the  latter  to  be 
the  cause  of  the  disease,  and  often  cuts  out  the  dis- 
eased glands.  The  drowsiness  is  not  real  sleep,  but 
anemia  caused  by  the  constantly  increasing  presence  of 
trypanosomes  in  the  blood,  destroying  the  red  blood 
corpuscles.  This  impoverishment  of  the  blood  causes 
many  attending  skin  diseases,  and  a  general  breaking 
down  of  the  whole  system." 

For  years  death  was  the  invariable  termination  of 
this  dread  disease,  some  lingering  two  years  or  more, 
others  dying  in  a  few  months.  It  was  thought  for 
years  that  white  people  were  immune.  This  fondly 
cherished  hope  was  vain,  however,  for  now  it  is  known 
that  some  who  died  during  those  years  of  mysterious 
diseases  undoubtedly  had  sleeping  sickness.  Often  the 
trypanosome  causes  a  fever  which  is  called  trypano- 
somal  fever  or  trypanosomiasis,  which  in  this  initial 
stage  is  curable  in  black  or  white  by  the  use  of  some 
preparation  of  arsenic  strong  enough  to  destroy  the 
parasite  without  killing  the  patient.  Some  have  recov- 
ered who  had  reached  a  late  stage  in  its  development. 
Some  recover  for  a  time,  only  to  pass  away  quickly  a 
little  later.  Many  of  the  most  beloved  and  trusted 
helpers  in  the  mission  and  church  at  Bolenge  have  been 


The  Evangel  of  Medicine  69 

taken  with  this  disease,  in  every  case  without  a  murmur 
or  word  of  complaint.  Our  own  hearts  have  been 
bleeding  as  it  has  become  necessary  to  segregate  these 
dearly  beloved  men,  women,  and  children,  taking  them 
to  the  isolation  camp;  but  how  gloriously  have  they 
witnessed  of  their  faith  in  that  trying  hour  as  they 
bade  us  not  to  grieve,  for  their  salvation  was  assured 
and  death  would  admit  them  to  the  promised  heaven 
above. 

Here  again  superstition  creeps  out,  for  the  heathen 
were  sure  the  white  man  brought  the  disease,  and 
therefore  attributed  it  to  certain  imported  fruits  and 
other  eatables.  The  Catholic  catechists  took  advantage 
of  this  superstition,  and  told  wherever  they  went  that 
when  the  English  teachers  bade  them  shut  their  eyes 
to  pray  they  were  bringing  sleeping  sickness  upon  them^ 
Many  such  ideas  became  prevalent,  and  the  natives 
would  not  come  to  the  doctor  for  treatment,  but  would 
hide  the  victims  in  the  inner  rooms  of  their  houses, 
thus  spreading  the  disease.  When,  however,  some  saw 
for  themselves  the  living  parasite  through  the  micro- 
scope, or  wonderful  mirror  of  the  white  man,  as  they 
called  it,  they  began  to  feel  that  he  knew  more  about 
it  than  they.  After  a  time  it  became  necessary  to 
place  a  restriction  on  the  number  of  those  desiring  to 
have  their  blood  examined.  After  this  a  fowl  was  the 
fee  for  such  examination,  but  so  great  was  their  desire 
to  know  for  sure  if  they  had  even  a  beginning  of  the 
dread  malady,  that  fowls  were  plentiful  and  might  be 
seen  carried  down  the  path,  suspended  by  a  string 
attached  to  their  legs,  or  languidly  squawking  on  the 
grass  while  their  owners  awaited  the  doctor.     Some- 


70  Bolenge 

times  it  was  most  depressing  to  see  a  canoe  load  of 
sufferers,  perhaps  several,  coming  from  an  infested  dis- 
trict, where  nearly  all  the  people  were  dead  or  dying. 
These  remaining  survivors  would  come  with  huge  pots 
of  palm  oil,  ducks,  fowls,  eggs,  bamboo  mats,  and  even 
goats,  to  see  if  the  famous  white  doctors  could  cure 
them  and  arrest  the  progress  of  the  disease  in  their 
village.  How  hard  it  is  to  turn  some  away  without 
hope  of  recovery,  but  then  again  is  the  way  opened  to 
preach  to  them  of  a  sure  hope  and  ultimate  eternal 
recovery  and  healing  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  who 
died  that  they  might  have  life. 

Thus  by  word  and  by  deed  the  gospel  finds  lodg- 
ment, for  as  ever  the  higher  nature  is  reached  by  the 
lower.  Though  the  native  can  not  understand  books 
or  literature,  he  can  fully  appreciate  the  alleviation  of 
suffering  and  restoration  to  life.  In  this  way  the 
hearts  of  the  people  are  prepared  to  receive  spiritual 
truth  and  the  gospel  seed  finds  good  soil  prepared  for 
its  planting.  The  seed  sown  has  brought  forth  a  hun- 
dred-fold, and  "the  fields  are  white  already  unto  the 
harvest/' 


CHAPTEE   VIII 
The  Gospel  Through  the  Day  School 

The  common  definition  of  a  school  is,  "An  insti- 
tution for  learning;  especially  a  place  of  elementary- 
instruction."  This  latter  clause  fittingly  describes  the 
early  school  at  Bolenge.  If  there  be  degrees  in  the 
truly  elementary,  ours  would  have  been  called  most 
elementary.  The  real  aim  of  the  school  in  those  earliest 
days  was  not  so  much  to  teach  the  native  children  the 
science  of  writing  and  reading  their  heretofore  spoken 
words  and  thoughts,  but  rather  tq  assist  the  missionary 
to  learn  enough  of  their  spoken  language  to  begin  to 
teach. 

Methods  were  crude  in  the  extreme;  but  a  safe 
beginning  was  made  on  the  alphabet.  It  was  interest- 
ing to  see  the  various  groups,  proudly  designated 
classes,  standing  or  seated  on  the  grass,  repeating  aloud 
line  after  line  of  the  new,  strange  characters.  Their 
memories  are  phenomenal,  and  in  a  short  time  they 
knew  every  letter  from  first  to  last,  and  last  back  to 
first,  but  strange  to  say  they  could  not  tell  one  from 
another.  They  have  little  artistic  ability,  and  it  re- 
quired a  strong  imagination  to  see  in  their  nondescript 
scrawls  a  faint  likeness  to  the  written  copy.  They 
made  some  progress,  and  it  was  well  their  progress 
was  not  greater,  else  they  would  have  surpassed  their 

71 


72  Bolenge 

teachers.  After  a  visit  to  a  neighboring  mission  some 
ninety  miles  away,  a  new  system  of  syllables  was  insti- 
tuted, which  soon  took  the  place  of  the  old  and  proved 
more  efficient.  As  there  were  no  suitable  school  books 
yet,  words  and  short  sentences  were  printed  on  large 
cards.  These  they  first  learned,  and  then  transcribed 
on  bits  of  broken  slate.  After  this  they  made  more 
rapid  strides  toward  a  knowledge  of  the  two  K's,  the 
third  one  not  having  been  introduced  much  as  yet. 

The  nucleus  of  the  school  consisted  mostly  of  boys 
who  came  primarily  to  work  for  the  missionaries.  These 
constituted  a  kind  of  boarding-school,  the  boys  living 
on  the  station  and  receiving  their  food  and  clothing 
from  the  mission.  They  attended  school  one-half  day 
and  worked  the  other  half.  There  were  few  if  any 
girls  in  those  early  days,  their  parents  and  masters 
refusing  to  let  them  come,  as  they  were  all  promised 
to  men  of  other  villages  for  wives.  They  feared  the 
girls  coming  to  the  white  man's  school  might  inter- 
fere with  these  matrimonial  arrangements,  and  as  these 
girls  constituted  their  investments,  nothing  must  inter- 
fere. For  a  time  the  commissaire  of  equator  district 
compelled  the  children  to  come  to  school.  During  that 
period  there  were  large  numbers  who  came.  Often  in 
times  of  high  water  many  of  these  had  to  wade  through 
swamps  or  to  come  with  canoes. 

As  fast  as  possible  other  elementary  branches  were 
introduced  and  the  school  made  a  creditable  advance. 
The  schoolhouse  was  the  chapel,  seated  with  rude 
benches  without  backs.  There  was  but  one  small  black- 
board. The  outside  pupils  were  attired  in  a  thick  coat 
of  red  camwood  powder,  with  a  scanty  loin  cloth  as  an 


The  Gospel  Through  the  Day  School     73 

accessory.  The  mission  boys,  however,  wore  neat  little 
suits  of  navy  blue  drill,  so  their  more  elaborately  dressed 
relatives  and  friends  from  the  villages  were  forced  to 
sit  on  the  floor.  This  because  the  color  from  their 
gaudy,  red  wardrobe  made  an  indelible  impression  in 
coming  in  contact  with  the  less  pretentious  garments 
of  the  others.  At  the  beginning  of  school  each  day 
there  was  the  customary  show  of  hands,  which  was 
often  followed  by  a  mad  rush  to  the  river — clean  hands 
were  always  demanded.  As  the  teacher  walked  over 
the  floor  often  a  crackling  sound  would  proceed  from 
beneath  his  feet.  This  would  necessitate  the  still  hunt 
for  the  pupil  who  had  "chiggers"  in  his  feet.  These 
were  not  found  to  be  the  harmless  little  creature  of 
America,  but  a  more  energetic  relative,  who  burrows 
into  the  flesh,  and  there  secretes  a  sack  of  eggs.  If 
these  are  not  skillfully  removed  they  will  all  hatch  inside 
the  cavity  and  many  more  sacks  will  soon  be  formed. 
This  sometimes  continues  until  whole  toes  and  sides 
of  the  feet  and  heels  are  eaten  away.  It  seems  rather 
too  much  of  an  exertion  for  some  children  to  take  care 
of  these,  so  they  prefer  to  let  their  feet  be  eaten  off. 
These  eggs  often  rattle  out  of  the  dry  sores,  and  lie 
around  ready  to  enter  the  feet  of  the  one  who  treads 
on  them,  or  be  crushed  by  those  who  are  fortunate 
enough  to  possess  shoes. 

The  hair  of  all  the  village  pupils  was  dressed  as 
has  been  described  in  an  early  chapter,  and  sometimes 
the  heat  would  thaw  out  the  inhabitants,  so  that  the 
kindly  offices  of  some  nearby  pupil  were  instantly 
demanded  to  search  out  and  exterminate  the  lively  occu- 
pants.   Of  course,  others  immediately  felt  the  need  of  a 


74  Bolenge 

like  service,  and  great  was  their  astonisliment  at  being 
requested  by  the  missionary  to  desist. 

Children  with  huge  ulcers  and  sores  would  sit  with 
a  small  bamboo  switch  deftly  keeping  ofE  the  offending 
flies.  It  was  not  long  until  a  clinic  was  held  especially 
for  the  school  children.  After  this  a  white  bandage 
proudly  worn  lent  contrast  to  the  toilet.  Proud,  in- 
deed, was  that  lad  who  could  have  a  white  band  around 
his  leg,  or  even  a  fleecy  bit  of  cotton  wool  held  on  by 
adhesive  plaster. 

Many  things  were  consequently  taught  besides  rea'3.- 
ing,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  and  infinite  patience  was 
demanded  at  all  times.  The  school  at  Bolenge  is  yet 
elementary  compared  with  the  public  schools  of  Amer- 
ica, but  considering  the  conditions  existing  in  the  early 
days,  what  a  wonderful  advance  has  been  made!  The 
long  lines  of  old  and  young  who  respond  to  the  ringing 
of  the  school  bell  now,  are  neat  and  clean.  Most  of 
them  are  dressed,  but  those  who  have  little  clothing  are 
clean,  as  they  come  dripping  from  their  morning 
plunge  in  the  river.  The  hair  is  worn  short,  and  little 
bamboo  combs  keep  it  neat  and  tidy.  The  floors  and 
seats  are  scrubbed  with  plenty  of  water  once  a  week 
and  the  whole  building  swept  daily. 

Though  the  work  thus  instituted  was  fraught  with 
much  discouragement,  there  were  even  in  these  early 
days  some  signs  of  far-reaching  influence.  The  natives 
were  naturally  superstitious  of  anything  written  on 
paper.  Knowing  nothing  of  a  written  language,  they 
believed  a  spirit  must  be  in  it.  At  one  time  a  number 
of  little  boys  attended  the  mission  school  from  a  dis- 
tant village.     After  a  while  one  went  home  and  was 


The  Gospel  Through  the  Day  School     75 

often  seen  making  mysterious  marks  on  the  ground,  or 
on  a  stick  of  wood.  On  being  questioned,  he  explained 
proudly  that  he  could  write  something  on  a  piece  of 
paper,  and  if  they  would  take  it  to  his  white  teacher 
he  would  read  it  and  give  them  whatever  he  had  asked 
for.  The  old  chief  doubted  this,  but  was  anxious  to 
test  the  lad's  mysterious  claim.  The  little  lad  took  a 
scrap  of  paper  he  had  carefully  preserved,  and  with  a 
short  stub  of  a  pencil  slowly  spelled  out  these  words, 
"Teacher,  give  the  chief  an  orange ;  he  thinks  I  do  n't 
know  how  to  write."  The  boy  then  read  it  to  his 
chief.  The  chief  would  not  touch  this  with  his  fingers, 
lest  the  foreign  spirit  might  enter  him,  but  had  the  lad 
put  it  in  the  end  of  a  piece  of  split  bamboo.  This  he 
carried  at  arm's  length  all  the  way  to  Bolenge,  to  find 
out  the  white  man's  mysterious  secret.  Boldly  he  walked 
up  the  steps  of  the  mission  bungalow  and  handed  the 
paper,  still  safe  in  its  bamboo  holder,  toward  the  white 
man.  He  took  it  and,  laughing,  opened  and  read  it 
aloud ;  then  he  said  to  the  old  chief,  "You  may  have  two 
or  three  oranges."  The  heathen  man  clapped  his  hand 
over  his  mouth  and  uttered  an  exclamation  of  great 
surprise,  saying,  "I  did  not  hear  that  paper  talk — 
how  did  it  talk  to  you  ?" 

Another  boy  came  from  an  inland  village  and  stayed 
one  year,  learning  about  all  we  were  able  to  teach  him 
at  that  time.  He  decided  to  return  home,  remain  a 
short  time,  then  come  back  to  the  mission  for  another 
year  or  so.  He  bade  us  all  good-bye,  and  with  a  prom- 
ise to  return  soon  started  out  overland  to  his  native  vil- 
lage. After  a  long  day's  march  he  approached  it,  but 
everything  seemed  strangely  quiet.     He  entered,  and 


76  Bolenge 

was  passing  on  toward  his  father's  little  hut  when  he 
was  seized.  Before  he  could  realize  what  was  happen- 
ing, he  was  bound  fast  to  a  tree.  His  utter  surprise 
showed  his  captors  that  he  had  just  come  and  did  not 
know  what  had  been  happening.  They  told  him  then 
how  a  native  of  his  village  had  accidentally  shot  a  native 
of  theirs  while  out  hunting,  mistaking  his  hat  of  ante- 
lope skin  for  the  animal  itself.  The  heathen  custom 
of  a  life  for  a  life  had  to  be  observed.  However,  at 
the  approach  of  the  avengers,  the  whole  population  of 
the  village  had  fled  in  terror.  Now  Bokyo  was  to  be 
the  innocent  victim  of  their  vengeance.  After  this 
explanation  they  proceeded  to  make  ready  to  sacrifice 
him,  but  he  stayed  them  asking  for  permission  to  say  a 
few  words.  His  request  was  granted.  He  then  told 
them  of  the  teaching  he  had  learned  of  the  white  man 
and  sang  for  them  all  the  hymns  he  had  learned  in 
school.  Finally  he  repeated  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  then 
calmly  said,  "I  am  ready."  Because  it  was  their  custom 
■they  killed  him,  but  the  brave  testimony  of  that  boy 
pierced  their  hearts.  In  the  days  that  followed,  of 
their  own  accord,  they  came  all  the  way  to  Bolenge 
to  tell  how  they  had  killed  Bokyo,  asking  to  have  his 
strange  words  and  deeds  explained.  How  little  we 
realized  the  influence  of  the  fragmentary  teaching 
given  in  our  imperfect,  stumbling  speech  to  the  chil- 
dren in  that  little  day  school!  The  gospel  news  had 
been  carried  by  this  mere  boy  where  it  would  be  years 
perhaps  before  the  missionary  could  go.  His  reward 
will  be  great  in  Heaven. 

Since  that  day  the  school  has  been  one  of  the  greatest 
agencies  for  spreading  the  gospel.     Native  teachers  are 


The  Gospel  Through  the  Day  School     77 

trained,  not  only  for  the  home  stations,  but  for  opening 
schools  in  distant  out-sections.  All  of  these  teachers 
are  Christians  and  all  the  text-books' used  are  books  of 
Christian  teaching.  Wherever  an  evangelist  goes,  a 
teacher  also  goes  to  open  a  school  and  assist  in  the 
preaching  as  well.  They  are  sent  out  two  and  two 
into  all  the  region  round  about.  We  want  the  native 
church  members  to  be  intelligent  and  able  to  read  and 
study  the  Word  of  God  themselves.  Above  all,  we  need 
an  educated  native  ministry,  hence  the  crying  need 
for  a  Bible  College  in  the  Congo.  In  this  evangelistic 
church  on  the  equator,  a  man  or  woman  has  no  sooner 
stepped  out  of  the  waters  of  baptism  than  the  desire 
is  manifested  to  begin  teaching  and  preaching.  We 
would  not  have  it  otherwise,  and  their  determination 
to  learn,  equals,  or  even  exceeds,  our  zeal  to  have  them 
learn. 

The  gospel  is  not  preached  through  the  day  school 
by  evangelists  and  teachers  alone,  but  by  the  women  as 
well.  There  can^never  be  a  C^hristian  nation  until  there 
are  Christian  wives  and  mothers.  The  teachers  and 
evangelists  search  for  wives  now  who  also  can  read  and 
write.  They  desire  those  who  can  intelligently  help  in 
teaching,  especially  among  the  women  in  the  out- 
stations  to  which  they  are  sent.  Thus  the  day  school 
is  the  foundation  for  much  of  the  Congo  work  which 
has  attracted  such  widespread  attention  here  at  home. 
Through  it  the  gospel  is  being  preached  in  a  multitude 
of  ways,  and  will  be  until  the  millions  still  in  ignorance 
shall  have  been  brought  into  the  school  of  Christ,  to 
learn  from  the  Master  Teacher  sent  from  God. 


CHAPTER   IX 
The  Gospel  Through  Industry 

The  fact  has  already  been  stated  that  a  man's  source 
of  power  and  authority  lies  in  his  ability  to  gather 
together  a  large  harem.  Also  that  these  women  become 
his  chief  source  of  income.  He  hunts  and  fishes  for 
pleasure,  but  seldom  for  profit.  Therefore,  when  a  man 
becomes  a  Christian  he  becomes  poor  for  the  gospel's 
sake.  He  no  longer  has  slaves  and  wives  to  barter 
or  to  bring  him  any  income,  so  is  compelled  to  search 
for  a  means  of  livelihood  to  support  himself  and  wife. 

To  meet  this  emergency,  as  well  as  to  provide  train- 
ing for  the  youth,  the  Industrial  Department  of  the 
mission  was  organized.  By  it  men  are  trained  to  be 
mechanics  and  carpenters,  well  able  to  make  a  good 
livelihood.  Boys  are  trained  in  gardening,  making  and 
burning  brick,  carpentering  and  building.  Some  are 
trained  as  hospital  assistants,  others  as  tailors  and 
printers,  while  others  take  up  cooking  and  laundering. 
By  any  of  these  they  may  make  a  good  living.  Here 
lies  one  of  the  secrets  of  Africa's  redemption;  to  turn 
the  natural  intelligence  and  skill  into  legitimate  chan- 
nels. In  this  way  old  habits  of  idleness  are  broken, 
and  habits  of  industry  take  their  place. 

For  this  part  of  the  work  Bolenge  is  well  equipped. 
78 


The  Gospel  Through  Industry         79 

The  increasing  demand  for  new  buildings  make  industry 
a  necessity,  and  our  necessity  is  their  opportunity. 
During  the  first  two  years  much  work  was  done  in 
repairs  about  the  station,  but  nothing  definite  was  done 
to  train  the  men  in  any  special  department  until  the 
arrival  of  Frank  T.  Lea  in  1901.  He  built  a  tem- 
porary carpenter  shed  and  tool  house,  and  began  teach- 
ing men  to  mark  and  saw  out  lumber,  using  a  pitsaw. 
Brick-making  was  also  begun,  though  Mr.  Lea's  en- 
forced return  to  America  interrupted  this  good  begin- 
ning. The  work  of  getting  out  lumber  was  carried  on 
after  his  departure,  however,  and  a  goodly  supply  was 
laid  by  toward  the  building  of  another  house.  In  1903 
R.  Eay  Eldred  came  and  took  charge  of  this  work. 
Since  then  it  has  grown  to  its  present  proportions. 
The  other  missionaries  have  had  a  share  in  it  from 
time  to  time,  and  have  supervised  different  depart- 
ments. 

Much  of  the  timber  had  to  be  cut,  and  two  or  three 
miles  back  into  the  forest  where  suitable  trees  grew, 
and  then  carried  to  the  station.  This  necessitated  the 
clearing  of  a  path  through  the  jungle  to  the  river. 
Here  the  lumber  and  timbers  were  loaded  into  canoes 
and  carried  to  the  station.  In  the  case  of  the  new 
pillars  which  make  a  foundation  for  the  mission  bun- 
galows, ten  men  were  required  to  carry  one  of  them, 
as  they  were  of  a  hard  wood,  five  feet  long  and  about 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter.  Only  two  could  be  put  into 
the  canoe  at  one  time,  so  it  took  many  days  to  get  the 
requisite  number — fifty-six  being  needed  for  each  house. 
This  hard  timber  is  necessary  to  guard  against  the 
inroads  of  white  ants.    Since  the  successful  making  of 


80  Bolenge 

brick,  these  wooden  pillars  are  being  replaced,  when 
necessary,  with  brick  ones.  The  material  needed  for 
roofing  the  buildings  had  to  be  obtained  seven  miles 
across  the  river  in  a  swamp.  The  palm  leaves  suitable 
for  thatch  are  cut  and  piled  into  the  canoes  and  paddled 
back  to  the  station.  To  cut  these  the  men  must  wade 
into  the  swamps  with  the  water  often  waist  deep.  The 
distance  is  such  that  they  must  return  on  the  second 
day,  staying  over  night  in  a  section  of  country  in- 
fested by  leopards.  The  material  thus  gathered  is  made 
into  mats,  other  journeys  into  the  forest  being  made 
to  procure  the  rattan  to  tie  them.  One  man  makes 
from  ten  to  fifteen  mats  a  day,  and  a  thousand  or  more 
are  required  for  an  ordinary  roof.  When  the  mats  are 
properly  seasoned,  they  are  carefully  fastened  to  the 
rafters,  making  a  very  fair  roof.  In  case  of  re-roofing, 
which  has  to  be  done  quite  often,  the  whole  force  of 
men  and  boys  are  set  to  taking  off  the  old  roof  and 
putting  on  the  new,  completing  it  in  one  day,  if  pos- 
sible, because  of  the  danger  of  sudden  storms.  These 
mats  are  tied  or  nailed  on  to  the  pole  rafters,  which  are 
placed  a  few  inches  apart.  The  mats  are  made  to 
overlap  each  other,  so  as  to  provide  good  protection  from 
the  sun  and  heat. 

Several  sets  of  sawyers  are  kept  busy  the  whole  year 
around.  Four  men  are  required  for  each  saw.  A  pit 
is  dug  in  the  ground  and  the  log  is  laid  across  it;  or 
if  too  large,  the  pit  is  dug  beneath  the  log  after  the 
tree  is  felled.  Some  timbers  must  be  sawed  when  green, 
others  must  be  felled  at  least  a  year  to  season  before 
sawing.  One  man  stands  on  the  top  of  the  log  while  the 
other  stands  in  the  pit  beneath  pulling  and  pushing 


The  Gospel  Through  Industry         81 

the  great  saw  through  the  log.  Two  others  relieve  them 
at  intervals  all  day  long,  as  the  work  is  hard  and 
exhausting.  Sometimes,  if  desirable  trees  are  in  a 
place  where  it  is  too  swampy  to  dig  the  pit,  a  scaffold- 
ing is  built  instead,  upon  which  the  log  is  hoisted  with 
chain  and  tackle.  This,  of  course,  takes  more  time 
and  is  the  less  desirable  way.  Suitable  timber  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Bolenge  is  scarce,  and  the  sawyers 
often  have  to  go  across  the  Congo  to  the  large  island 
opposite  the  station  to  cut  their  trees.  When  this  is 
done  the  timber  must  be  brought  across  in  canoes.  The 
boards  sawed  in  the  forest  nearby  are  nsually  carried 
in  on  men's  heads  to  the  carpenter  shop.  Here  this 
rough  lumber  is  dressed  by  young  men  and  piled  to 
season.  Others  are  employed  in  planing  and  cutting 
the  already  seasoned  pieces  into  boards  ready  for  use. 
Some  are  engaged  in  finishing  and  beading  strips  for 
beds  and  furniture,  making  small  school  tables,  benches, 
and  other  needed  articles.  A  few  who  have  learned  the 
rudiments  of  carpentry  are  engaged  in  building. 

All  these  steps  necessary  in  getting  out  lumber  make 
it  slow,  tiresome  work  to  build.  Brick-making  was 
again  undertaken,  it  being  hoped  that  bricks  might  be 
used  largely  in  place  of  so  much  lumber.  Experiments 
had  to  be  made  with  the  soil  procurable,  to  find  what 
proportion  of  clay  and  sand  were  necessary  for  good 
solid  bricks.  It  was  found  that  the  clay  must  be  hauled 
in  canoes  from  a  point  up  the  river,  and  the  sand  from 
another  point  down  the  river,  then  carried  up  the  hill 
to  the  brick-making  shed.  At  first  this  had  to  be 
mixed  by  hands  or  by  feet,  but  later  a  sort  of  mill 
was  ingeniously  invented,  which  made  the  initial  step 
6 


82  Bolenge 

much  easier.  Brick  molds  were  made,  and  a  number 
of  boys  set  to  work.  It  was  interesting  to  watch  these 
lads  as  they  deftly  molded  the  bricks,  turned  them 
on  the  drying  boards,  while  other  boys  carried  them 
to  the  drying  sheds.  As  soon  as  enough  were  dried  to 
make  a  kiln  it  was  built,  and  with  a  roof  raised  high 
above  it  to  protect  from  rain  it  was  burned  night  and 
day,  many  cords  of  wood  having  been  gathered  ready 
for  it.  The  bricks  were  left  in  the  kiln  usually  until 
needed,  or  piled  under  some  of  the  houses  for  protec- 
tion. In  this  way  many  thousands  of  bricks  have  been 
made,  and  this  department  of  the  work  put  on  a  good 
basis  for  the  future. 

Before  brick-making  was  begun  the  young  men  had 
been  taught  tailoring.  It  was  impossible  to  get  the 
girls  for  our  domestic  help,  so  boys  were  employed 
about  the  house,  and  taught  to  sew  as  well.  The  writer 
was  inexperienced.  She  never  dreamed  before  sailing 
that  the  knowledge  of  tailoring  would  be  necessary  in 
the  land  to  which  she  was  going.  However,  "neces- 
sity is  the  mother  of  invention,"  and  certainly  some 
original  patterns  were  invented,  an  old  suit  of  clothes 
often  being  used  as  a  basis.  Pockets  seemed  so  super- 
fluous that  some  were  left  out,  the  flaps  only  being  used 
as  a  pretense.  The  long-suffering  missionary  husband 
smiled  approbation  and  gave  needed  encouragement. 
He  even  wore  uncomplainingly  garments  on  which  the 
buttons  and  buttonholes  had  changed  sides.  Experience 
is  a  good  teacher,  and  after  a  time  the  art  was  ac- 
quired, and  more  pupils  sought  for.  The  young  men 
proved  apt  students,  and  have  since  earned  their  living 
in  this  way,  their  service  being  in  great  demand  even 


The  Gospel  Through  Industry         83 

by  Government  oflBcers.  The  girls  have  also  since  been 
taught  this  useful  profession,  and  are  expert  in  cutting 
and  making  suits. 

In  1907  the  long-desired  and  much-needed  printing- 
press  arrived.  For  the  time  being  it  was  set  up  in 
the  house  occupied  by  Mr.  Eldred,  and  two  young  men 
were  apprenticed,  Mr.  Hensey  having  charge  of  it. 
Under  his  direction  the  native  workmen  made  splen- 
did progress  in  setting  and  throwing  do^vn  type.  Soon 
several  short  stories  were  ready  for  school  use.  As  the 
first  type  was  neither  satisfactory  nor  adequate,  other 
was  ordered  immediately.  Sis  months  is  the  quickest 
time  in  which  an  order  for  supplies  can  be  filled  and 
reach  its  destination.  This  long  delay  retarded  the 
work.  Meanwhile,  a  printing  house  was  built  and  the 
press  moved  into  it.  A  large  amount  of  work  has  been 
turned  out,  and  Mr.  Hensey  has  edited  the  interest- 
ing little  paper,  entitled  the  Congo  Christian.  Mr. 
Hedges,  one  of  the  newer  missionaries,  has  taken  up 
that  department  now,  and  is  training  new  boys.  He 
has  already  printed  some  translations  made  by  Mr. 
Hensey  and  is  waiting  for  more  work  which  is  on  the 
way  from  the  homeland,  where  it  has  been  prepared 
during  the  missionary's  furlough.  This  has  become  one 
of  the  most  valuable  adjuncts  to  the  mission  work,  for 
the  provision  of  literature  for  a  people  having  hitherto 
but  a  spoken  language  is  a  great  and  necessary  under- 
taking. The  printing  is  no  small  part  of  this  arduous 
task,  and  it  has  been  ably  begun. 

The  medical  missionaries  have  been  so  occupied  with 
other  work  that  there  has  been  little  opportunity  for 
training  helpers  in  this  important  department.    A  few 


84  Bolenffe 


&' 


have  been  trained,  however,  and  have  proved  their  effi- 
ciency. For  several  years  lyokansombo  has  been  invalu- 
able, having  learned  to  take  charge  of  the  ulcer  clinic, 
and  to  diagnose  and  treat  the  ordinary  every-day  ills. 
He  is  also  a  skillful  nurse.  Mark  Njoji  while  in  Amer- 
ica with  us  during  furlough  took  a  course  in  hydro- 
therapy at  the  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium,  and  we  hope 
this  may  become  a  valuable  aid  to  the  work  in  the 
Congo.  The  evangelists  are  all  given  instructions  in 
the  treatment  of  ulcers  and  the  use  of  drugs  in  cases 
of  fevers,  dysentery,  and  other  common  ailments.  On 
their  travels,  where  the  medical  missionary  has  not 
time  to  go,  they  relieve  much  suffering,  and  follow 
in  the  path  of  their  Master.  Many  ideals  for  this  work 
are  cherished,  which  we  hope  may  be  realized  as  the 
years  go  by. 

Soap-making  and  the  manufacture  of  syrup  from 
sugar-cane  are  minor  industries  taught  in  the  mission. 
All  these  industrial  features  are  helping  to  redeem  the 
race,  bringing  it  out  of  heathenism  step  by  step.  At 
first  all  laborers  desired  to  be  paid  in  the  ordinary 
medium  of  exchange — ^brass  rods.  Now  the  desire  has 
been  created  for  knowledge  of  some  useful  profession, 
and  instead  of  the  usual  brass  rods  the  laborers  demand 
saws,  hammers,  planes,  hoes,  axes,  sewing-machines, 
cloth,  needles  and  thread,  and  a  score  of  things  neces- 
sary now  to  their  life,  but  undreamed  of  before.  They 
go  back  to  their  villages  and  make  an  honest  living 
by  carpentering,  coffin-making,  or  tailoring,  creating 
everywhere  a  growing  desire  for  learning.  These  men 
and  boys  become  Christians,  and  thus  teach  a  double 


The  Gospel  Through  Industry         85 

lesson,  for  idle  Christians  are  useless  anywhere.  A 
beginning  has  been  made,  and  already  a  second  center 
of  this  industrial  redemption  has  been  opened  at  Longa. 
May  these  centers  be  increased  until  all  the  land  shall 
be  permeated  by  their  manifold  ministry. 


CHAPTER  X 
Enlargement 

The  little  chapel  was  moved  from  the  river  front 
to  a  large  open  space  on  the  back  of  the  station,  and 
near  the  native  village.  The  attendance  increased  at 
once.  The  church  was  pre-eminently  evangelistic,  and 
the  first  money  that  was  raised  by  the  few  members, 
sent  out  their  first  evangelists.  As  the  offerings  in- 
creased, the  evangelists  were  increased,  and,  as  is  always 
the  case,  the  blessing  was  returned  to  the  faithful  few 
who  either  went  or  sent. 

The  Sunday-school  was  re-organized  and  divided 
into  classes  with  native  teachers.  A  regular  system  of 
lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ  was  provided.  A  teacher's 
training  class  was  begun.  As  the  little  chapel  was  too 
small,  the  classes  met  in  their  out-of-door  class  rooms, 
beneath  the  gigantic  palms  and  indigenous  trees  which 
form  a  natural  grove  about  the  chapel.  A  contest  was 
begun,  not  between  the  "red"  and  the  ^'blue,"  but  be- 
tween the  men  and  the  women.  The  records  were  made 
weekly  on  the  school  blackboard,  that  of  the  girls'  and 
women's  classes  being  on  one  half  and  that  of  the  boys' 
and  men's  on  the  other  half.  It  was  a  great  success,  for 
they  kept  nearly  equal  and  every  one  worked  hard  for 
new  pupils.  One  of  the  finest  things  about  it  was, 
that  they  all  continued  to  come,  and  the  contest  was 


Enlargement  87 

never  ended,  but  is  still  kept  up  without  loss  of  interest. 
The  interest  spread  so  the  cords  had  to  be  lengthened. 
The  teacher's  training-class  was  enlarged  to  take  in  the 
entire  church  membership,  and  the  lesson  was  given  on 
Saturday  night.  Sunday-school  always  met  at  four 
o'clock  on  Lord's  Day  afternoon. 

As  soon  as  the  morning  church  service  was  over,  a 
score  or  more  of  teachers,  not  needed  in  the  home  school, 
hurried  quickly  away,  not  waiting  for  an  elaborate 
dinner,  and  at  four  o'clock  the  same  lesson  was  taught 
in  every  village  within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles.  Thus 
hundreds  of  old  and  young,  outside  of  Bolenge,  were 
brought  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel.  Whenever 
possible,  these  itinerating  teachers  carried  picture 
charts  illustrating  the  lesson,  with  which  to  call  the 
people  together  and  interest  them. 

A  grandmothers'  class  was  organized,  and  one  by 
one  they  were  enrolled.  Their  superstition  made  them 
very  fearful  of  the  writing  of  their  names  on  the  class 
record  at  first,  but  they  soon  anxiously  desired  this  dis- 
tinction. It  was  with  intense  satisfaction  that  we 
watched  their  interest  grow  and  deepen,  and  their  hold 
on  the  old  life  grow  less  and  less.  These  old  women 
were  not  in  any  sense  attractive  at  first  sight,  they  were 
even  repulsive.  A  second  and  deeper  look,  however, 
would  reveal  an  Eternal  Light  breaking  through  the 
darkness  of  their  heathen  minds,  and  transforming 
their  wrinkled  faces. 

The  church  was  filling  up  with  young  life  which 
needed  more  opportunity  for  development.  To  meet 
this  want,  a  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was  organized 
with  active  and  associate  members.    This  has  grown  to 


88  Bolenge 

be  the  largest  Endeavor  Society  in  all  the  world.  It 
meets  on  Friday  nights  and  is  fully  alive.  The  United 
Society  topics  are  translated  and  followed  as  nearly  as 
possible.  The  pledge  and  Mizpah  benediction  are  also 
translated  and  committed  to  memory  by  every  member. 
It  would  be  of  interest  and  profit  for  the  Christian 
Endeavorers  of  America  to  visit  one  of  these  meetings. 
The  membership  soon  became  so  large  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  all  to  take  part,  but  there  is  never  any  time 
wasted.  It  is  an  inspiration  to  sit  in  one  of  their 
meetings  and  listen  to  the  original  thoughts  and  com- 
ments on  the  lesson,  for  they  have  no  magazines  or  other 
helps  to  read  from.  Best  of  all  are  their  chains  of  sen- 
tence prayers,  short,  full  of  meaning,  and  with  no 
broken  links. 

The  Endeavor  work  proved  such  a  source  of  strength 
to  the  home  church,  that  the  evangelists,  of  their  own 
accord,  have  organized  a  branch  society  wherever  there 
are  as  many  as  one  or  two  Christians  in  the  villages 
where  they  have  gone  to  preach.  It  was  found  that 
the  associate  members  were  not  long  in  becoming  active, 
and  the  Endeavor  Society  has  grown  into  a  miniature 
training  school  for  church  membership. 

The  next  step  in  this  steady  advance  was  the  estab- 
lishment of  out-stations.  Heretofore  the  evangelists 
had  traveled  and  preached.  The  time  was  now  fully 
ripe  for  certain  localities  to  have  resident  teachers. 
Erom  the  first  these  preaching  points  were  made  as  self- 
reliant  and  self-supporting  as  possible.  The  natives 
who  asked  for  teachers  were  asked  to  prove  their  interest 
in  a  very  practical  way.  They  were  required  to  build 
their  own  little  church  and  schoolhouse,  the  home  church 


Plot  of  Bolenge  Station. 
I.  R.  R.  Eldred's  home;  2.  Storehouse;  3.  Dr.  Dye's  Home;  4.  Single 
Ladies'   Home:    5.  New    Hospital    (proposed)  ;   6.  Cotner   Memorial    Dis- 
pensary; 7.  Printing  House;  8.  Spring  House;  9.  Boat  House. 
X.  Orange  trees.  o.  Mango  trees. 


Enlargement  89 

to  provide  the  preacher  and  teacher  until  they  were 
able  to  assume  this  also. 

The  first  out-station  to  be  established  was  at  Bon- 
kombo.  This  was  in  that  part  of  the  parish  across  the 
river,  and  among  a  people  speaking  a  different  lan- 
guage. Occasional  visits  of  itinerating  evangelists  had 
aroused  deep  interest  over  there  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Congo,  a  full  day's  paddling  from  Bolenge.  They 
begged  for  a  teacher  and  said,  "If  you  do  not  come, 
and  we  die  we  will  tell  God  it  is  your  fault."  When 
the  teacher  came  they  said,  "Now  it  is  for  us  to  choose 
or  refuse." 

The  need  seemed  imperative,  but  where  was  a 
preacher  to  be  found  who  would  give  up  his  home,  and 
go  live  there  among  another  tribe  of  people  whose 
language  he  must  learn?  Who  would  become  the  first 
foreign  missionary  of  the  little  church?  Our  God  has 
said,  "Before  they  call  I  will  answer,"  and  this  is  the 
way  he  answered  the  call.  Among  those  baptized  July 
31,  1904,  were  a  man  and  wife,  Ekakula  and  Biluke. 
They  were  among  the  most  earnest  and  intelligent  of 
any  yet  admitted  to  the  church.  Their  history  is  inter- 
esting. Biluke,  when  a  small  child,  lost  her  mother 
and  was  taken  to  live  with  a  relative  who  was  very 
cruel  and  unkind  to  her.  She  was  often  beaten  and 
refused  food  because  she  was  bringing  in  no  income. 
When  about  twelve  years  of  age  her  father,  who  had 
previously  shown  no  interest  in  her  welfare,  married 
her  to  a  mere  boy.  The  marriage  fee  received  by  the 
father  was  twenty  slaves, — one  woman  and  nineteen 
men.  These  were  then  valued  at  about  fifteen  hundred 
brass  rods  each,  a  brass  rod  having  a  value  of  about 


90  Bolenffe 


to* 


one  cent.  This  made  the  price  paid  for  this  child 
wife  about  three  hundred  dollars  in  our  money.  This 
child  marriage  continued  some  years,  the  mere  girl 
becoming  a  mother,  but  the  babe  and  husband  both 
died.  She  was  handed  down  by  inheritance  to  Ibuka,  a 
chief  having  the  largest  harem  of  the  whole  country 
round.  He  had  hundreds  of  wives  and  female  slaves, 
besides  many  male  slaves.  This  man  Biluke  hated,  so 
in  company  with  her  brother  she  ran  away  on  a  Gov- 
ernment steamer  bound  for  Stanley  Falls.  During  this 
trip  a  young  leadsman  by  the  name  of  Ekakula  was 
attracted  by  her,  and  learning  that  the  young  man  who 
accompanied  her  was  a  brother,  he  went  to  him  asking 
for  his  sister.  This  was  considerably  more  formality 
than  is  customary,  but  he  recognized  her  to  be  a  superior 
young  woman.  The  brother  interceded  in  his  behalf, 
but  she  was  obdurate,  having  determined  never  again 
to  be  the  wife  of  a  polygamist.  She  feared  lest  he 
might  have  other  wives.  But  finally  she  was  convinced 
of  his  having  none  and  desiring  only  her.  One  day 
he  offered  her  one  hundred  brass  rods  and  she  accepted 
them,  which  was  an  acknowledgment  of  her  accept- 
ance of  him  and  willingness  to  become  his  wife.  On 
their  arrival  at  Stanley  Pool,  where  he  was  employed 
by  the  State,  they  were  legally  married.  The  Congo 
Balolo  Mission  having  a  station  at  this  point,  and,  hear- 
ing the  bell  ring  every  evening,  Ekakula  wondered  at 
its  significance  and  determined  to  find  out.  Several 
nights  he  went  and  stopped  outside  the  chapel,  listen- 
ing to  the  singing,  not  presuming  to  enter  what  he 
thought  was  a  secret  meeting. 

Rumors  came  to  him  that  the  same  kind  of  teach- 


Enlargement  91 

ing  was  being  taught  in  their  home  town,  and  they 
decided  to  go  home  as  soon  as  his  contract  was  filled. 
This  they  did.  No  sooner  had  they  arrived  than  a 
sentry  came  through  the  village  seizing  people  for  not 
having  brought  their  whole  quota  of  fish  tax.  Ekakula 
was  seized  along  with  others  and  put  into  prison.  As 
soon  as  released  he  and  Biluke  remembered  their  sole 
purpose  in  coming  and  sought  for  the  mission.  Bo- 
lenge  was  so  far  from  their  home,  however,  that  they 
came  to  live  nearby,  where  they  could  attend  every 
service  without  interference.  Their  hearts  were  pre- 
pared for  the  seed,  and  after  their  baptism  they  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  go  and  teach  to  others  what  they  had 
learned.  These  two  consecrated  young  people  volun- 
teered to  go  to  Bonkombo,  and  were  sent.  Eor  two 
years  they  worked  side  by  side,  Biluke  proving  a  ca- 
pable teacher,  and  in  her  quiet,  cultured  spirit  being  a 
splendid  example  to  the  women.  But  sleeping  sickness 
was  prevalent  in  that  district  and  she  soon  succumbed 
to  the  dread  malady.  Ekakula  labored  on  for  a  long 
time  alone,  but  recently  married  Bonkonge,  one  of 
God's  noble  women,  and  a  dear  friend  of  Biluke.  The 
light  keeps  spreading  farther  and  farther  from  the 
little  center  of  light,  and  many  are  being  brought  to 
the  feet  of  the  Master  by  the  precept  and  example  of 
these  godly  lives,  lived  in  their  midst. 

All  this  growth  in  the  distant  places  made  it  neces- 
sary to  enlarge  the  place  of  the  tent  at  home.  The 
little  chapel  would  no  longer  hold  the  crowds  who 
came.  The  chapel  was  so  crowded  that  women  were 
carried  out  fainting,  even  though  air  was  afforded  by 
the  lattice  work  all  around.     Every  available  inch  was 


92  Bolenge 

occupied.  Not  only  were  the  benches  filled,  but  the 
floor  also.  Finally  two  class-rooms  were  torn  out  to 
enlarge  the  seating  capacity.  Accordingly,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1906,  four  years  after  the  organization  of  the  little 
church,  a  mammoth  tabernacle  was  erected  under  the 
supervision  of  Dr.  Widdowson.  This  structure  was 
seventy  by  one  hundred  feet,  and  it  was  thought  would 
accommodate  the  people  for  years  to  come.  Its  capacity 
was  soon  to  be  tested,  for  all  the  evangelists  and  large 
numbers  of  inquirers  were  to  gather  there  at  Christmas- 
time. The  tabernacle  was  barely  done  before  they 
began  to  arrive.  The  story  of  this  wonderful  Christ-' 
mas  is  told  in  another  chapter. 

Since  those  early  signs  of  enlargement,  the  curtains 
have  been  stretched  and  the  cords  lengthened  until  little 
churches  have  sprung  up  for  a  hundred  miles  around 
Bolenge.  Sunday-schools  and  Endeavor  Societies,  as 
well  as  preaching  services,  are  regularly  carried  on  in 
all  of  these  places.  Christian  homes  are  scattered 
throughout  these  villages  like  leaven  to  permeate  the 
heathenism  about  them. 

In  the  program  of  the  Eternal  God  there  is  no 
failure.  All  hearts  are  encouraged  at  these  evidences 
of  expansion.  But  what  is  this  paltry  one  hundred 
mile  sweep  compared  with  the  thousands  of  miles  be- 
yond, untouched  and  unknown,  dark  and  silent,  yet  cry- 
ing out  for  life  even  in  its  deathlike  stillness?  Again 
we  hear  the  command :  "Enlarge ;  stretch  forth ;  spare 
not ;  lengthen ;  strengthen,  for  thou  shall  break  forth 
on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left." 


CHAPTEK    XI 
Emancipated  Womanhood 

The  condition  of  woman  is  the  real  test  of  the 
civilization  of  any  race.  Just  as  true  is  it  that  wher- 
ever Protestantism  is  in  the  highest  ascendency,  there 
woman  is  held  in  the  highest  honor  and  esteem.  All 
really  free  governments  are  the  fruit  of  Protestantism, 
and  some  one  has  well  expressed  the  further  truth, 
thus:  "The  more  Protestant,  the  more  civilized,  the 
more  honored,  the  more  honorable  is  woman,  educated 
woman." 

To  the  Congo  we  must  again  turn  for  proof  of 
these  assertions.  A  glimpse  has  been  taken  at  woman 
as  she  is  in  her  native  state.  From  this  glimpse  the 
problem  of  her  regeneration  looks  hopeless  of  solution. 
A  Catholic  civilization  enters,  she  comes  under  a  new 
government  and  under  the  influence  of  a  new  religion. 
Surely  now  her  condition  will  be  changed.  This  does 
not  prove  to  be  the  case;  her  state  is  even  harder  than 
before.  She  is  compelled  to  do  more  manual  labor  in 
the  fields  to  prepare  her  quota  of  taxation  in  return 
for  the  privilege  of  being  under  tlie  protection  of  a 
civilized  power.  She  must  go  on  long  marches,  carry- 
ing heavy  loads  of  food  and  wood  to  the  Government 
post.  If  unfortunate  enough  to  be  of  comely  appear- 
ance, she  lives  in  constant  danger  of  being  seized  to  be 


94  Bolenge 

made  the  mistress,  together  with  others,  of  one  of  the 
officials  of  this  new  regime.  Will  such  a  regime  uplift 
and  enlighten  a  degraded  race?    Never. 

The  whole  dismal  story  of  Congo  under  "civiliza- 
tion" is  too  well  known  to  need  repetition  here.  The 
answer  to  but  one  question  is  ample  explanation.  What 
was  the  religion  of  this  "civilization?"  It  was  Eoman 
Catholic.  What  a  pity  that  to  such  a  government  was 
given,  by  the  free  and  full  consent  of  the  civilized 
powers,  the  control  of  numerous  people !  However, 
God  is  in  the  world,  and  before  this  sad  reign  of  cruel 
injustice  began  He  had  sent  His  messengers  to  pro- 
vide a  means  of  life  in  the  midst  of  death.  The  natives 
regarded  the  Protestant  missionaries  with  superstitious 
awe,  considering  them  the  spirits  of  their  ancestors. 
The  "paddleless  canoes"  of  the  white  people  which 
steamed  up  and  down  their  rivers  were  greatly  feared. 
The  superstitious  natives  thought  these  steamers  car- 
ried the  spirits  of  their  dead  back  to  Europe,  where  they 
became  white  people.  The  white  missionary  was  thought 
never  to  have  been  born,  and,  therefore,  invulnerable 
and  incapable  of  death.  The  establishment  of  Chris- 
tian homes  in  their  midst  soon  disabused  the  native 
mind  of  this.  Little  white  babies  were  born,  and  as 
death  carried  away  some,  the  natives  soon  came  to 
know  that  the  white  men  were  but  flesh  and  blood, 
even  as  themselves. 

It  was  long  before  the  women  were  won  from  the 
old  life  of  sin.  They  had  become  inured  to  its  wild 
shamelessness ;  its  sinful  moonlight  dances  still  held 
charms  for  them.  Then,  too,  the  hope  of  a  different 
life  had  long  since  died  out  within  them,  and  they 


Emancipated  Womanhood  95 

were  slow  to  believe  they  could  ever  be  other  than  they 
were.  A  babe  was  born  to  the  missionaries.  Motlier 
love  is  the  deepest  altruistic  love  there  is,  and  here,  as 
ever,  woman's  confidence  and  love  was  won  by  a  help- 
less babe,  whom  we  claimed  as  ours,  but  whom  they 
soon  came  to  look  upon  as  theirs.  There  was  no  need 
to  urge  the  women  to  come  to  us  for  teaching.  They 
came  to  watch  everything  that  was  done  for  this  won- 
derful white  babe,  and  to  pour  out  their  own  heart's 
confidences  in  return.  Not  that  they  all  forsook 
heathenism  and  rushed  to  accept  Christianity,  but  a 
way  to  their  hearts  had  been  made  which  would  never 
be  closed. 

A  few  women  began  coming  regularly  every  Lord's 
Day  morning  for  a  little  heart-to-heart  talk.  They 
sought  advice  as  to  the  manner  in  which  they  ought 
to  live.  These  talks  were  of  great  profit  to  all.  Then 
at  the  time  of  the  Sunday-school  hour,  in  the  after- 
noon, the  heathen  women  came  for  an  informal  meet- 
ing on  the  veranda.  At  this  time  some  simple  lesson 
was  given  them.  It  was  at  this  meeting  that  many 
of  the  confidences  of  the  women  recorded  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter  were  given.  As  they  received  a  glimpse 
of  the  better  life  they  began  to  realize  that  indeed  their 
past  had  been  dark  and  evil. 

The  little  church  was  organized  and  these  first 
few  women  stepped  out.  In  the  face  of  many  obstacles 
they  confessed  their  faith  in  Christ.  These  were  young 
women.  The  older  heathen  women  considered  the 
church  a  new  game  for  young  people  and  children, 
where  they  were  taught  to  sing  instead  of  to  dance. 
But  after  a  while  Bombeto  came,  a  middle-aged  woman, 


96  Bolenge 

renowned  in  the  village  for  her  common  sense.  Then 
the  older  women  were  convinced  that  the  church  must 
be  something  more  than  a  game,  else  would  this  sen- 
sible woman  not  have  gone.  Bombeto  was  the  mother 
of  several  children,  the  youngest,  Bolumbe,  being  a 
little  boy  of  about  two  years  of  age.  The  children 
always  accompanied  the  mother  to  church,  and  soon 
little  Bolumbe  learned  to  imitate  the  mother  as  she 
bowed  her  head  to  return  thanks  for  her  food.  No 
sooner  had  the  child  learned  this  than  he  noticed  that 
the  father  never  did  it,  and,  childlike,  he  chided  him 
for  it.  To  please  the  child  the  father  made  a  pre- 
tense of  doing  the  same.  The  mission  bell  rings  often 
for  work,  school,  and  religious  services.  To  all  of  these 
Bolumbe  wanted  to  go.  At  every  ringing  of  the  bell  he 
would  tug  at  his  father,  saying,  "Fafa,  ngonga;  fafa, 
ngonga"  ("Papa,  the  bell;  papa,  the  bell"),  until  the 
father  went  to  carry  his  baby  boy.  All  know  the  sequel ; 
the  father's  heart  was  changed,  and  his  became  a  Chris- 
tian family.  A  little  later  the  old  grandmother,  whose 
hair  was  white,  came  to  visit  them,  and  she  too  was 
persuaded  to  attend  the  services.  She  went  hand  in 
hand  with  little  Bolumbe,  for  grandparents  the  world 
over  love  their  grandchildren.  One  day,  in  walking 
through  the  village,  our  attention  was  attracted  to  a 
childish  voice  singing.  There  beside  the  house  under 
the  shade  of  the  banana  plants  sat  Bolumbe  and 
grandma,  he  lining  off  one  of  the  Christian  h3mms  in 
his  sweet  childish  treble,  and  she  trying  to  sing  it  after 
him  in  her  thin,  quavering  voice.  It  was  a  scene  never 
to  be  forgotten,  and  the  words  of  the  Master  flashed 
into  our  mind,  "A  little  child  shall  lead  them."    That 


— -  o 
G.  S 


S-O 


isT 


a,  I 


Emancipated  Womanliood  97 

became  the  largest  Christian  family  in  the  church,  as 
one  by  one,  brothers,  sisters,  aunts,  and  cousins,  joined 
the  group. 

The  leaven  was  beginning  to  work  and  women  both 
old  and  young  began  to  come.  The  attitude  of  the 
heathen  generally  had  up  to  this  time  been  one  of 
indifference ;  they  began  now  to  see  in  the  new  religion 
the  downfall  of  their  old  customs  of  slavery  and 
polygamy,  and  their  attitude  changed  to  one  of  opposi- 
tion. Any  woman  belonging  to  them  was  forbidden 
henceforth  to  attend  any  services  of  the  mission  on 
penalty  of  severe  punishment.  Many  persisted  and 
persecutions  followed.  Women  were  beaten  every  time 
they  attended  a  service.  Many  of  them  were  rolled  and 
tied  up  in  mats  and  laid  in  the  village  streets.  There 
they  were  left  in  the  broiling  sun  as  a  warning  to  all 
the  others.  They  were  forbidden  to  wear  dresses  or 
even  a  large  cloth,  as  these  made  it  impossible  to 
admire  their  charms  of  form  and  tribal  markings. 
Life  was  made  miserable  for  them  in  every  way,  and 
they  were  subjected  to  every  indignity.  These  perse- 
cutions, however,  but  strengthened  a  desire  and  a  de- 
termination to  be  true  to  the  new  faith.  Their  hus- 
bands and  masters  would  not  part  with  them,  or  sell 
them  to  others,  for  in  every  case  it  was  the  choicest 
women  of  their  harem  who  thus  defied  them.  After  a 
time,  when  they  saw  that  their  threats  and  punishment 
availed  them  nothing,  the  masters  began  to  see  that 
they  were  reaping  some  benefits  from  this  strange  new 
faith.  These  women  strangely  enough  had  become 
honest,  and  to  them  the  master  could  consign  his 
wealth  for  safekeeping.  He  also  found  that  they  no 
7 


98  Bolenge 

longer  had  illegitimate  lovers,  though  it  was  long  before 
this  could  be  believed.  The  husbands  were  pleased  with 
this  fidelity,  though  they  regretted  that  this  changed 
life  cut  off  one  source  of  their  revenue. 

These  were  busy,  anxious  days,  for  the  trials  of 
these  women  were  our  trials.  At  all  hours  of  day  and 
night  they  came  for  advice  and  counsel,  which  required 
more  than  human  wisdom  to  give.  Yet  some  of  the 
choicest  spirits  of  that  wonderful  church  came  out  of 
that  time  of  persecution,  purified  by  its  fires.  Two 
regular  meetings  for  women  only  were  organized  and 
became  a  strong  element  in  the  nourishing  of  all  these 
babes  in  Christ.  Regular  work  was  also  provided  for 
the  women  who  desired  to  earn  cloth  for  dresses,  and 
sewing  classes  for  the  town  women  were  begun.  These 
women  were  as  evangelistic  as  the  men,  and  went  every- 
where teaching,  ofttimes  paddling  across  the  river  alone 
to  tell  the  gospel  story. 

Bitoko  was  one  of  the  oldest  women  in  the  church, 
and,  as  her  home  had  once  been  across  the  river,  she 
decided  to  go  and  preach  the  gospel  over  there.  She 
borrowed  a  canoe  and  set  out  alone.  Her  arrival  there 
was  welcomed  by  her  old  friends,  and  she  began  imme- 
diately to  tell  them  of  the  wonderful  story  of  the 
Savior  she  had  found.  Two  women,  Bolia  and  Basato, 
were  deeply  affected,  and  longed  to  return  with  her  to 
hear  more.  This  they  did,  and  both  eventually  became 
earnest  Christians.  These  two  women  then  returned  to 
their  people  across  the  great  river.  A  year  later  Bolia 
died,  leaving  a  little  boy,  Yoka,  who  was  lost  sight  of 
for  the  time.  Old  Bitoko,  however,  made  another  trip 
across,  and  to  her  deep  sorrow  and  righteous  indigna- 


Emancipated  Womanhood  99 

tion  found  that  the  little  son  of  her  deceased  friend  had 
been  sold  to  a  cannibal  tribe  far  inland.  The  price  had 
been  one  thousand  brass  rods,  the  equivalent  of  about 
ten  dollars.  The  heathen  people  gave  no  reason  save 
tliat  he  was  a  nuisance  to  them  and  they  were  well  rid 
of  him.  Not  so  thought  Bitoko.  She  demanded  that 
tliey  go  and  redeem  him  immediately,  or  when  she  re- 
turned home  she  would  report  their  deed  to  the  Gov- 
ernment Judge.  This  threat  filled  them  with  terror, 
and  they  lost  no  time  in  going  to  find  the  child,  whom 
they  feared  might  have  been  killed  and  eaten  long 
before.  They  found  him  starved,  sick,  emaciated,  and 
too  weak  to  walk,  and  thus  they  brought  him  to  Bitoko. 
She  tenderly  washed  him,  wrapped  a  cloth  about  his 
naked  body,  and  brought  him  home  with  her,  where  she 
tenderly  cared  for  him.  People  capable  of  such  cruelty 
surely  needed  the  gospel,  so  Bitoko  kept  up  her  evan- 
gelistic journeys  until  a  regular  evangelist  was  sta- 
tioned there  by  the  native  Bolenge  church.  Then  she 
turned  her  attention  elsewhere. 

One  of  the  strongest  agencies  for  the  emancipation 
of  womanhood  is  the  Girls'  Home  and  Orphanage.  This 
has  grown  to  larger  proportions  than  in  the  early  days 
when  Buta  and  two  or  three  little  girls  occupied  a  tiny 
one-roomed  house.  There  is  now  a  large  three-roomed 
building,  which  is  already  too  small  to  accommodate 
those  who  beg  to  come.  Here  the  girls  receive  instruc- 
tion— in  all  departments  of  domestic  economy,  each 
girl  being  given  a  part  in  the  household  duties.  In 
the  native  village  the  sewing  is  done  by  the  men,  but 
the  girls  show  remarkable  aptitude  for  it  when  taught. 
They  became  skilled  in  dressmaking,  tailoring,  and  in 


100  Bolenge 

doing  certain  kinds  of  drawn  work.  They  learn  to 
wash  and  iron,  cook  and  bake,  sweep  and  dust,  scrub, 
and  to  practice  every  art  of  the  good  housewife.  Some 
of  the  girls  are  orphans  and  some  daughters  of  Chris- 
tian parents.  These  parents,  realizing  that  they  are 
incapable  of  properly  instructing  their  daughters,  re- 
sort to  the  mission.  Still  others  of  the  girls  are  affi- 
anced wives  of  Christian  young  men  who  desire  to  have 
their  sweethearts  as  capable  and  intelligent  as  pos- 
sible. These  girls  form  a  very  happy  family,  and  it 
is  a  great  joy  to  see  them  develop  when  removed 
from  their  heathen  surroundings.  Even  their  faces 
change  so  their  own  friends  scarcely  recognize  them. 
These  Christian  girls  make  ideal  wives  for  the  Chris- 
tian teachers,  though  they  make  their  own  choice  or 
refusal.  We  learn  to  love  these  children  dearly,  and 
they  love  us  in  return. 

For  the  last  two  or  three  years  Inkondo  has  been 
the  most  beloved  and  capable  girl  in  the  Orphanage. 
She  has  refused  numerous  proposals  of  marriage  to 
remain  and  assist  the  white  mothers  in  their  multi- 
tudinous cares  with  the  younger  girls.  She  was  for- 
merly an  ugly  child,  both  in  features  and  disposition. 
She  was  careless,  untidy,  deceitful,  and  a  constant 
source  of  anxiety.  She  was  dull  in  school  and  every- 
where else.  Then  slowly  she  began  to  show  signs  of 
change;  when  for  many  months  she  devoted  her  whole 
time  to  nursing  the  writer  during  her  severe  illness. 
She  developed  a  most  beautiful  character.  None 
doubted  her  complete  change  of  heart,  as  manifested 
in  her  daily  life,  and  she  was  welcomed  into  the  family 
of  Christ.     Since  that  time  she  has  been  indispensable; 


Emancipated  Womanhood  101 

having  voluntarily  constituted  herself  a  sort  of  matron 
over  the  other  girls.  They  never  resent  this,  for  she  is 
universally  loved  and  the  babies  are  her  special  care. 
She  has  become  a  beautiful  girl,  and  is  a  type  of  that 
emancipated  womanhood  which  will  bring  the  race  back 
to  God.  It  will  be  our  greatest  reward  in  the  great 
reunion  to  meet  again  these  women  who  have  labored 
with  us  in  the  gospel,  "Whose  names  are  in  the  book  of 
life." 


CHAPTEE   XII 
Itinerating  Through  Swamp  and  Jungle 

The  outlines  of  the  great  parish  which  looks  to 
Bolenge  for  the  gospel  must  be  kept  in  mind  to  under- 
stand fully  the  need  for  so  much  itinerating.  This 
spacious  parish  lies  on  both  sides  of  the  Congo  Eiver. 
On  the  upper  side  from  the  Mobangi  Eiver,  stretching 
eastward  on  to  the  Congo  Eiver,  is  a  triangular  section 
of  territory.  This  entire  district  is  untouched  by  the 
gospel,  save  as  it  is  carried  there  by  the  Bolenge  evan- 
gelists. On  the  lower  side  of  the  river  lies  another 
triangular  section,  with  Bolenge  for  the  apex.  This 
contains  thousands  of  square  miles  of  territory,  with 
people  numbering  into  the  millions.  To  the  north  the 
parish  reaches  to  the  Lolanga  Eiver.  To  the  east  it 
reaches  to  the  watershed  of  the  Lomami  Eiver,  seven 
degrees  from  Bolenge.  To  the  south  it  extends  to  the 
Kasai  Eiver,  four  degrees  from  Bolenge.  In  evangel- 
izing this  vast  territory  the  natural  waterways  are 
followed  as  much  as  possible.  The  Bosira  Eiver  flows 
in  a  southeasterly  direction  through  this,  and  has  two 
large  branches — ^the  Bosira  Monine  or  large  Bosira, 
sometimes  called  the  Juapa,  and  the  southern  branch, 
the  Momboyo.  The  vast  intervening  district  must  be 
covered  by  overland  Journeys.  It  is  necessary  that  the 
missionaries   themselves   make   periodical   journeys   in 

102 


Through  Swamp  and  Jungle        103 

these  districts  to  enforce,  supplement,  and  superintend 
the  work  of  the  native  evangelists. 

For  years  to  come  the  presence  of  the  white  teacher 
will  be  necessary  to  the  growth  and  stability  of  the 
work,  and  only  thus  can  the  influence  of  the  native 
workers  be  maintained.  The  evangelists,  zealous  as  they 
may  be,  are  not  yet  trained  for  pastoral  work,  there 
having  been  no  time  to  give  to  this  phase  of  their  work. 
As  the  native  Christians  return  from  Bolenge  to  live 
here  and  there  in  their  own  scattered  villages,  the  prob- 
lem of  looking  after  these  many  "scattered  disciples" 
is  an  ever-increasing  one.  The  scarcity  of  workers  has 
hindered  this  part  of  the  work  no  little. 

Longa  has  been  opened  as  a  station  on  the  main 
Bosira,  and  so  itineration  is  now  carried  on  from  two 
points  instead  of  one — Bolenge  and  Longa.  Outposts 
have  been  opened  up  on  all  the  tributary  rivers,  where 
regularly  appointed  evangelists  preach  and  teach;  yet 
only  a  very  small  part  of  the  territory  has  been  cov- 
ered, and  thousands  of  miles  of  navigable  waterways 
have  not  yet  been  traversed. 

On  the  river  these  journeys  have  to  be  made  in  dug- 
out log  canoes,  which  are  dangerous  to  life  and  to  the 
necessary  provisions  carried.  A  canopy  is  stretched  over 
the  center  of  the  canoe  and  sometimes  covered  with  a 
mat  or  thatch,  under  which  the  missionary  may  have 
some  protection  from  the  sun,  but  not  from  tsetse  flies 
and  mosquitoes.  The  paddlers  fill  up  the  rest  of  the 
canoe,  the  drummer  boy  sitting  in  the  prow,  for  no 
crew  can  paddle  without  the  wooden  drum  to  keep  the 
rhythm  for  the  stroke  of  the  paddle.  Often  this  is  ac- 
companied by  rollicking  canoe  songs,  which  make  one 


104  Bolenge 

feel  that  canoeing  is  the  most  delightful  pastime.  But 
the  river  is  miles  wide,  and  often  clouds  gather,  light- 
ning plays  about,  and  soon  the  rain  pours  down  in  tor- 
rents, and  a  fierce  tornado  is  upon  the  canoe  and  its 
passengers.  At  times  it  seems  as  though  the  frail  craft 
must  turn  over.  Then  under  the  skilled  hands  of  the 
paddlers  it  rights  itself  again,  and  for  a  few  moments  is 
as  still  as  though  held  by  an  unseen  hand,  only  to  pitch 
and  dive  in  another  instant.  Sometimes  it  is  overturned 
and  a  sorry-looking  crew  struggle  to  land,  dragging 
what  goods  they  can.  Often  in  such  an  accident  lives 
are  lost.  At  one  time  in  returning  from  a  visit  to  an 
out-station  across  the  river  at  Bonkombo,  a  terrible 
tropical  tornado  swept  down  upon  the  heavily  laden 
canoe,  and  it  seemed  that  it  would  surely  be  swamped 
before  reaching  the  shore.  The  river  was  black,  and, 
being  agitated  as  by  some  unseen  power  beneath  it,  rose 
in  tumultuous  waves  and  swept  down  upon  the  canoe. 
The  blackness  of  the  water  was  reflected  in  the  sky, 
the  whole  being  lighted  up  by  blinding  flashes  of  light- 
ning. Soon  big  drops  of  rain  fell  and  the  wind  and 
waves  became  quieter,  so  the  journey  was  continued 
and  home  reached,  having  suffered  nothing  worse  than 
a  severe  drenching.  When  the  paddlers  drew  the  great 
canoe  up  on  the  shore,  to  their  astonishment  they 
found  one  whole  side  so  rotten  and  soft  that  a  finger 
could  be  thrust  through  in  several  places,  and  at  one 
point  a  hole  had  begun.  They  said,  "We  are  safely 
home  only  by  the  mercy  of  God."  At  such  times  we 
feel  that  it  can  not  be  right  to  risk  life  in  these  little 
shells,  but  the  gospel  must  be  preached. 

The  native  evangelists  had  gone  up  the  Bosira  Eiver 


Through  Swamp  and  Jungle        105 

for  a  year  or  more  before  the  missionaries  had  time  to 
follow.  At  first  all  of  the  people  were  eager  for  the 
teaching,  but  wanted  to  see  the  white  teacher  himself. 
Before  the  missionaries  were  able  to  follow  the  Cath- 
olics entered  and  possessed  the  land  and  fitted  the  na- 
tives out  with  all  kinds  of  charms.  One  of  these  charms 
is  a  piece  of  felt  with  a  cross  on  it.  They  make  the 
natives  believe  that  the  piece  of  felt  is  a  piece  of  Mary's 
robe  itself.  This  is  suspended  from  the  neck,  as  well 
as  a  brass  bangle  and  perhaps  some  beads.  These  will 
furnish  the  whole  costume  of  the  wearer,  and  would 
be  most  amusing  if  not  so  pathetic.  One  more  super- 
stition is  added  to  the  old  ones,  as  they  are  made  to 
believe  in  the  saving  power  of  the  white  man's  charms, 
which  they  imagine  to  be  stronger  than  theirs.  On 
these  trips  the  paddlers  are  always  preachers  or  Chris- 
tians, and  well  grounded  in  the  faith. 

Mr.  Hensey,  who  made  the  first  trip  up  the  Bosira, 
in  writing  afterward,  said :  "I  can  assure  you  that 
when  we  stormed  those  Catholic  towns  our  evangelists 
were  able  to  cope  with  any  Catholic  or  catechist  we 
met.  At  one  place  a  man  was  doing  his  best  to  defend 
Mompe  (mon  pere)  the  priest,  and  was  boasting  of 
how  he  could  perform  miracles  and  heal  the  sick. 
Then  our  big  elder,  Intole,  thrust  his  long  arm  over 
into  the  disputant's  face,  and  said,  *If  your  priest  can 
perform  miracles,  why  does  he  come  down  to  Bolenge 
for  medicine  when  he  is  sick?'  That  was  a  'stunner,' 
and  the  whole  crowd  shouted,  *He  is  answered,'  and  we 
gained  the  day." 

A  site  was  finally  secured  at  Longa  and  a  station 
opened  there  at  the  junction  of  the  Bosira,  the  Monene, 


106  Bolenge 

and  Momboyo  Elvers.  Often  in  passing  to  and  fro  it 
is  not  possible  to  stop  at  every  village.  Once  when  a 
village  was  being  passed  in  order  to  reach  a  certain 
town  by  sundown,  the  aged  chief  came  to  the  bank  and 
cried  out:  "Why  do  you  pass  us  by?  Are  we  not  peo- 
ple? Have  you  forgotten  us?"  It  is  hard  to  refuse 
the  many  calls  made  by  these  brothers  of  ours  who  are 
perishing,  while  they  watch  and  wait  with  open  hearts 
for  the  message  of  life. 

As  before  intimated,  a  large  section  of  the  parish 
can  not  be  reached  by  waterways.  Overland  journeys 
must  be  made  instead.  For  such  a  journey  a  caravan 
is  necessary,  which  is  always  composed  largely  of  Chris- 
tians. From  twenty  to  twenty-five  men  are  required 
for  carriers,  who  besides  their  own  small  bundles  carry 
a  folding  bed,  bedding,  the  missionaries'  clothing,  food 
supplies,  trade  goods,  and  cooking  utensils.  On  all  these 
journeys  nothing  is  spared  which  will  conserve  the 
strength  of  the  traveler,  for  the  climate  does  not  take 
kindly  to  Caucasians.  It  must  be  recalled  that  Bo- 
lenge is  in  the  great  swamp  district,  and  many  of  these 
swamps,  as  well  as  small  streams  and  creeks,  must  be 
forded.  The  native  manner  of  bridging  these  almost 
impassable  swamps  is  to  fell  trees  across  them,  and 
fill  in  with  brush  and  small  poles.  These  bridges  may 
be  above  or  below  water,  and  are  slippery  and  slimy. 
One  can  imagine  the  agility  required  to  walk  across 
such  a  bridge.  Farther  inland  there  are  not  even 
those  desirable  advantages  and  the  swamps  must  be 
waded,  the  mud  and  water  varying  in  depth  from  ankle 
to  armpit.  These  swamps  are  separated  from  each  other 
by  stretches  of  dry  land  and  inhabited  villages. 


Through  Swamp  and  Jungle        107 

The  march  of  the  caravan  is  stopped  in  every  vil- 
lage, the  people  are  gathered  together  and  the  gospel  is 
preached  to  them.  In  many  towns  the  natives  are 
still  timid,  fearing  the  coming  of  the  Government  offi- 
cers, and  flee  at  the  first  sight  of  the  missionary.  They 
soon  find  out  their  mistake,  and  come  cautiously  back 
to  listen  in  wonder  to  a  white  man  speaking  their  own 
language.  This  always  excites  surprise  and  pleasure, 
and  the  message  is  readily  received.  What  a  trans- 
formation now  to  see  in  many  of  these  villages  little 
chapels,  erected  by  the  native  Christian  residents,  where 
day  school  and  regular  service  are  being  held !  All  these 
villages  are  open  doors  of  opportunity,  which  must  be 
entered  else  they  may  be  closed  against  us  later  on. 

Leaving  the  last  of  these  lines  of  villages,  where 
evangelists  visit  regularly,  and  where  many  are  sta- 
tioned, it  is  still  several  days'  march  across  country  to 
the  Momboyo,  the  southern  tributary  of  the  Bosira. 
Here  the  caravan  must  move  more  cautiously,  for  the 
paths  are  indistinct  and  uncertain,  and  the  match  et 
must  be  in  constant  use  in  clearing  the  way.  This  is 
real  African  jungle,  so  dense  that  the  sun  can  not  get 
through,  though  its  presence  is  felt.  The  march  must 
begin  at  daybreak  to  avoid  the  heat,  and  the  dew  lies 
so  heavy  on  every  leaf  and  twig  and  tree  that  all  the 
party  are  thoroughly  saturated  in  a  few  moments,  but 
the  steady  march  is  uninterrupted  save  to  cut  the  heavy 
rattan  vines  and  dense  underbrush  that  block  the  way. 

The  villages  in  this  section  must  be  approached 
more  cautiously,  for  even  Government  officers  fear  to 
enter  there  even  when  accompanied  by  a  body  of  sol- 
diers.    A  spy  is  sent  ahead  to  announce  the  approach 


108  Bolenge 

of  the  missionary.     Sometimes  the  missionary  party  is 
welcomed   and   enters   unafraid;   at   other   times   they 
enter  only  to  find  the  town  deserted  and  an  ominous 
stillness  everywhere.     All  know  that  on  such  an  occa- 
sion a  false  or  suspicious  move  will  bring  a  volley  of 
spears  and  arrows  from  the  nearby  thickets.    The  men 
at  such  times  lay  aside  their  burdens  with  apparent 
unconcern,  and,  seating  themselves  by  some  open  fire, 
begin  to  sing.     One  song  after  another  echoes  and  re- 
echoes through  the  forest,  until  one  by  one  the  fright- 
ened villagers,  now  reassured  of  the  harmless  intentions 
of  their  visitors,  creep  back  and  seat  themselves  at  a 
safe  distance,  still  clutching  their  weapons.     A  native 
preacher  then  rises  and  tells  them  one  of  their  own 
native  stories  or  proverbs.     Then  out  of  it  he  leads  to 
the  teachings  of  God  himself,  as  revealed  by  His  Son 
Jesus,  who  came  to  earth,  and  lived  and  died  to  save 
every  one.     In  conclusion  he  refers  this  to  the  white 
man,  who  has  brought  them  this  good  news  and  has 
come  himself  to  tell  them.     Their  wonder  knows  no 
bounds  when  the  white  man  arises  and  begins  to  speak 
in  their  own  language.     Weapons  are  forgotten,  and 
they  listen.    At  the  close  one  more  bold  than  the  others 
will  cry  out:  "White  man,  how  long  have  you  known 
this  story?    Did  your  fathers  know  it?    Then  why  did 
they  not  come  and  tell  our  fathers  also?"     These  are 
questions  difficult  to  answer,  but  the  thought  returns 
again  and  again,  "We  of  this  generation  are  respon- 
sible for  those  of  our  generation."     God  help  us  to 
reach  the  last  man  and  the  last  woman,  so  that  our 
children  of  the  next  generation  may  never  hear  that 
cry! 


Through  Swamp  and  Jungle         109 

But  the  caravan  must  move  on.  With  a  promise 
to  return,  which  the  natives  can  hardly  believe,  the 
march  is  resumed,  the  workers  praising  God  for  the 
privilege  of  preaching  where  the  gospel  had  never  before 
been  heard.  Some  of  the  caravan  have  perhaps  heard 
that  a  Bacwa  or  Pygmy  village  is  not  far  distant,  and 
at  the  next  village  they  learn  more  definitely  of  it. 
These  little  folk  of  the  forest  are  considered  as  pariahs 
and  outcasts  by  the  ISTkundos.  They  will  always  turn 
the  back  when  one  is  passing  and  expectorate  as  soon 
as  he  is  past.  They  will  never  eat  from  the  same 
dishes  or  give  them  drink.  Their  relationship  is  like 
that  of  the  Jews  and  the  Samaritans,  and  we  can  in 
fancy  see  the  Savior  sitting  wearied  by  the  well  and 
asking  for  a  drink,  and  hear  the  response,  "How  is  it 
that  thou,  being  a  Jew,  askest  water  of  one  who  am  a 
Samaritan  woman?"  The  favorite  epithet  bestowed 
upon  the  Bacwa  by  the  Nkundos  is,  "nibwa,"  dog. 

Meanwhile  the  caravan  approaches  the  secluded 
hamlet  of  the  pygmies  in  the  midst  of  the  dense  forest 
and  enters  unannounced,  knowing  well  that  a  messenger 
would  be  of  no  use  here.  The  village  street  is  empty, 
but  every  bush  and  thicket  seems  ablaze  with  shiny 
eyes,  peering  forth  at  the  intruders.  Here,  as  before, 
the  loads  are  laid  aside  and  all  seek  a  spot  under  the 
shade  of  a  big  tree,  where  they  can  find  shelter  from 
the  intense  heat.  The  party  quietly  begins  to  sing. 
Music  surely  "hath  charms  to  quell  the  savage  breast," 
for  even  these  shy  denizens  of  the  forest  are  won  by 
it,  and  come  out  to  listen.  On  the  day  of  which  we 
speak,  the  young  preacher  spoke  as  he  had  never 
spoken  before,   and  all   listened  with  rapt   attention. 


110  Bolenge 

hanging  on  to  the  last  word.  When  leaving  them  to 
make  the  march  to  the  next  village  before  nightfall,  the 
little  old  chief  followed  along  the  path,  and  when  they 
promised  to  return,  he  called  after  them,  "No,  we  'II 
never  see  you  again.  We  will  never  hear  this  story 
again."  0,  if  that  cry  that  rang  through  the  forest 
on  that  day  could  only  ring  in  your  ears  as  it  did  in 
those  of  the  missionary,  it  would  be  answered  by  scores 
of  young  men  in  America,  who  are  waiting  for  a  "call" 
to  preach  the  gospel ! 

The  caravan  reaches  the  river  and  the  loads  are 
packed  into  canoes  and  the  tired  company  paddles 
homeward,  visiting  the  villages  and  stopping  at  Longa 
on  the  way ;  but  still  that  cry  is  heard,  as  though  wafted 
to  them  on  every  breeze :  "No !  we  '11  never  see  you 
again.    We  will  never  hear  this  story  again." 


CHAPTER   XIII 
A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism 

"This  work,  with  a  native  church  supporting  one 
in  every  ten  of  its  members  as  evangelists,  is  placing 
the  emphasis  where  is  found  Africa's  greatest  need,  and 
the  native  evangelists  bring  the  chief  returns  in  mis- 
sionary labor."  This  was  spoken  by  Eben  Creighton, 
that  missionary  traveler  who  before  arriving  at  Bo- 
lenge  had  visited  the  missions  of  all  South  and  East 
Africa,  had  crossed  the  great  forest,  and  descended  the 
Congo. 

The  great  parish  under  the  supervision  of  Bolenge 
has  been  described,  but  in  view  of  the  interest  in  this 
particular  part  of  the  work,  it  has  seemed  advisable  to 
describe  some  of  the  ways  by  which  the  native  African 
reaches  his  own  people.  In  1903,  soon  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  church,  the  yearly  report  ran  thus :  "The 
native  church  keeps  two  evangelists  in  the  field  all  the 
time,  and  it  is  the  plan  to  increase  this  number  at 
once  to  four.  They  go  out  two  by  two  for  two  weeks 
at  a  time.  There  are  also  frequent  companies  of  two 
and  three  who  go  out  for  a  week  at  their  own  charges, 
solely  to  preach  the  gospel.  It  is  hoped  soon  that 
every  member  of  the  Church  will  fully  realize  his  re- 
sponsibility in  the  propagation  of  the  gospel.     It  will 

111 


112  Bolenge 

probably  never  be  necessary  to  ask  for  any  money  from 
home  for  their  support.  Every  one  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians is  a  willing  tithe-giver." 

These  first  few  evangelists  did  not  go  far  from  home, 
but  beginning  at  Bolenge  they  went  out  in  the  imme- 
diate neighboring  villages.  Coquilhatville,  the  capital 
of  Equator  District,  is  situated  but  seven  miles  from 
Bolenge.  Here  natives  from  the  farthest  villages  be- 
hind us,  as  well  as  from  above  and  across  the  river,  take 
their  weekly  tax.  This  is  a  great  center  and  it  seems 
strategic,  so  an  evangelist  was  kept  there  constantly. 
He  taught  in  the  native  village,  preached  to  these  groups 
of  strangers  wherever  he  found  them,  and  also  to  the 
State  soldiers  and  prisoners.  Time  proved  the  wisdom 
of  this  step,  for  people  from  far  distant  sections  of 
the  country  began  to  ask  that  teachers  be  sent  to  their 
villages.  When  asked  where  they  had  heard  the  gospel, 
they  would  reply,  ''At  the  State  post  where  we  carry 
our  taxes." 

As  a  result  of  this  two  evangelists  went  across  the 
Congo  and  into  the  Mobangi  country,  where  as  yet  no 
work  had  been  done.  The  people  were  receptive  and  a 
promising  work  was  begun,  which  has  borne  fruit.  An- 
other two  went  up  the  Ikelemba,  another  tributary  to 
the  Congo.  Here  at  first  they  were  welcomed,  but  as 
soon  as  the  chief  realized  that  it  meant  the  downfall 
of  his  power  he  began  to  persecute  the  evangelists.  One 
strong,  vigorous  man  forbade  his  wives  attending  the 
services  on  penalty  of  punishment.  One  dared  to  come. 
She  was  forthwith  put  into  the  slave-stick,  with  her 
face  upturned  to  the  scorching  blaze  of  the  sun.  As  he 
placed  her  there  he  said,  "You  shall  stay  there  until 


A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism       113 

that  God  you  went  to  hear  about  comes  down  and  re- 
leases you."  So  saying  he  went  away,  leaving  her 
to  her  slow  torture.  Two  days  later  he  suddenly  died, 
and  the  whole  village  said,  "He  cursed  God,  and  it  is 
God's  own  hand."  Fear  fell  upon  them  and  crowds 
came  to  hear  the  message  day  by  day. 

"It  is  because  he  cursed  God."  As  we  listened  to 
these  reports  we  remembered  how  the  early  disciples 
went  forth  and  preached  everywhere,  the  Lord  working 
with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  fol- 
lowing. 

At  the  close  of  the  )^ear  1904  the  young  men  of 
the  church  had  all  been  sent  alternately  on  these  short 
evangelistic  campaigns,  and  thus  an  opportunity  was 
afforded  for  selecting  those  best  fitted  for  that  kind 
of  work.  As  soon  as  these  were  found,  the  system 
was  changed  and  the  men  were  sent  out  in  pairs  to 
stay  one  month,  and  then  recalled  for  two  weeks  for 
instructions  under  the  missionary.  That  year  saw 
twenty-two  baptisms,  some  of  these  being  direct  results 
of  the  evangelistic  teaching.  The  church  relationship 
then  was  seventy-seven. 

In  August  of  1905  there  were  ten  baptisms,  and  a 
few  days  later  ten  picked  men  were  started  out  as  evan- 
gelists. Five  of  these  started  up  the  Bosira,  where  a 
beginning  on  that  great  tributary  of  the  Congo  had 
already  been  made,  a  field  for  which  we  are  morally 
responsible.  These  five  evangelists  were  given  careful 
instructions  to  spy  out  the  land,  that  we  might  plan 
to  occupy  it  as  soon  as  we  could.  Njoji,  now  known 
as  Mark  Njoji,  was  the  first  volunteer  for  the  Bosira 
work,  and  on  his  return,  a  month  later,  he  reported  that 


<«*«-' 


114  Bolenge 

much  of  the  country  visited  by  them  was  near  a  Trap- 
pist  Mission,  and  therefore  strongly  Catholic.  How- 
ever, when  meetings  were  held  all  the  grown  people 
had  come  to  hear  him,  while  the  children  attended  the 
Catholic  service.  The  natives  in  general  preferred  the 
teaching  of  the  evangelists  and  begged  them  to  return. 
During  this  trip  the  evangelists  had  been  divided,  three 
going  up  the  Momboyo  branch.  While  there  they  had 
all  their  goods  stolen.  Those  consisted  of  barter  goods 
and  salt  which  had  been  provided  them  by  the  mis- 
sion. This  was  a  great  loss,  being  part  of  their  small 
salary  and  their  only  means  for  obtaining  food  in  that 
strange  country.  Instead  of  becoming  angry  and  bring- 
ing disgrace  upon  themselves  and  others,  they  behaved 
themselves  in  such  a  way  that  much  of  the  stolen  goods 
was  returned  to  them.  As  soon  as  the  two  who  had 
stopped  down  the  river  heard  of  the  misfortune  which 
had  befallen  their  comrades,  they  paddled  night  and 
day  to  divide  their  portion  with  them.  This  caused 
great  commotion  among  the  heathen  who  witnessed  it, 
for  they  had  never  before  seen  one  of  their  own  coun- 
trymen so  generous,  and  the  service  became  crowded. 
Four  of  the  people  touched  by  these  signs  of  a  changed 
life  accompanied  the  evangelists  back  to  Bolenge  to 
verify  what  they  had  seen.  It  was  hard  to  believe  that 
people  would  give  up  slavery  and  polygamy  and  live 
lives  of  honesty  and  chastity.  They,  however,  became 
convinced  of  the  reality  and  power  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ  which  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost.  Mean- 
while others  had  gone  to  the  large  inland  towns,  and 
numbers  of  people  came  in  with  these  evangelists  for 
more  teaching.     The  missionaries  were  barely   given 


A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism      115 

time  to  eat,  and  at  the  end  of  a  month  a  group  of  sin- 
cere people  were  baptized,  the  first-fruits  of  Injolo. 
Among  these  was  Bonjolongo,  the  Stephen  of  the  Bo- 
lenge  church.  He  brought  all  his  heathen  charms  with 
him,  and  publicly  smashed  his  tobacco  horn  and  hemp 
smoking  calabash.  He  freed  his  polygamous  wives  and 
redeemed  his  little  daughter,  whom  he  had  sold  to  be 
the  wife  of  an  influential  chief.  He  had  been  a  fierce 
cannibal,  and  had  at  the  head  of  his  people  made 
bloody  raids  on  other  villages,  always  carrying  off  some 
victims.  His  change  was  apparent  to  all,  and  most  of 
all  to  his  old  mother,  who  could  not  understand  his 
transformation  until  she  herself  also  followed  him. 
He  went  afterward  to  preach  to  a  village  which  he  had 
once  raided,  and  was  at  once  surrounded  by  armed 
natives,  who  saw  their  chance  for  revenge.  He  was 
unafraid  and  talked  to  them  earnestly  of  things  they 
did  not  understand,  but  their  hearts  were  set  on  re- 
venge. All  night  they  surrounded  the  little  hut  in 
which  he  slept,  having  made  themselves  wild  with  liquor 
and  hemp.  In  the  morning  he  bade  them  good-bye,  and 
started  home.  They  asked  him  which  path  he  intended 
taking,  and  he  answered,  "The  right  hand  path."  They, 
of  course,  thought  that  he  lied,  and  so  filtered  down 
through  the  forest  and  ambushed  the  left  hand  path, 
for  a  native's  answer  is  always  a  lie.  They  left  a  spy 
to  follow  him  and  when  he  arrived  at  the  dividing  of 
the  way  and  Bonjolongo  turned  to  the  right  hand  as 
he  had  said,  the  voice  of  the  scout  rang  out  through 
the  forest,  "Nsonsolo  inyo  lofofomba-o !"  (Of  a 
truth  you  do  not  lie.)  This,  not  in  praise,  but  as  a 
warning  to  those  lying   in  wait   on  the   other  path. 


116  Bolenge 

Bonjolongo  had  good  common  sense  and  ran  for  his 
life.  He  often  tells  how  his  life  was  spared  by  telling 
the  truth,  when  a  lie  would  have  meant  sudden  death. 

This  man  has  become  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
Church,  and  by  repeated  visits  to  that  same  village  has 
won  some  of  his  would-be  murderers  to  Christ,  and 
they  have  become  the  closest  of  friends.  Bonjolongo 
Lad  said  to  the  missionaries  as  he  returned  to  his  own 
town:  "When  I  come  back  you  will  be  surprised  to  see 
how  anxious  the  people  are  for  this  wonderful  gospel 
of  God  that  you  bring.  They  only  want  to  know  that 
it  is  true  and  that  it  is  the  power  to  save  such  as  us 
and  turn  us  from  all  the  ways  of  our  ancestors,  and 
they  will  come  in  multitudes."  True  to  his  promise 
he  returned,  bringing  about  fifty  of  his  townspeople 
with  him. 

That  year  of  1905  saw  thirty-two  baptisms,  and  the 
church  whose  ranks  had  been  thinned  by  death  num- 
bered ninety-two  active,  earnest  Christians,  supporting 
eleven  of  their  own  number  as  evangelists,  besides  one 
member  who  supported  his  own  living-link.  The  report 
contained  these  words  written  to  the  home  churches: 
"The  native  church  is  doing  all  it  can  do.  They  be- 
lieve more  teachers  will  come  soon.  A  few  who  will 
consecrate  themselves  to  Africa  now  will  be  worth  a 
score  a  year  from  now.  The  crisis  is  imminent.  The 
work  exceeds  our  powers.  Some  must  come  soon,  or 
God  will  himself  hold  you  responsible." 

During  their  trips  alone  in  the  back  country  the 
evangelists  often  had  strange  experiences.  Once  when 
one  of  these  was  visiting  from  house  to  house  in  a 
heathen  village  he  heard  his  name  called  and  went  im- 


A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism       117 

mediately,  thinking  it  to  be  some  one  desiring  teach- 
ing. He  saw  a  man  sitting  inside  his  hut  with  a  native 
razor  in  his  hand,  and  a  hammer  lying  beside  it  on 
the  ground.  Pointing  to  the  hammer,  he  said:  "Do 
you  see  that  hammer  ?  That  is  my  god ;  with  it  I  make 
knives  and  spears,  with  which  I  kill  animals,  which  I 
eat  and  thereby  live.  You  come  to  teach  of  your  God, 
but  that  is  mine  which  gives  me  life."  Thinking  he 
had  cornered  the  evangelist,  he  complacently  awaited 
his  answer,  which  was  not  long  in  forthcoming.  Pick- 
ing up  the  hammer  and  examining  it  closely  he  casually 
asked  if  his  god  had  created  itself.  The  man  replied, 
"0,  no,  a  friend  made  it."  The  evangelist  then  asked 
who  had  created  the  friend,  and  he  was  obliged  to  con- 
fess that  the  mysterious  Creator  had  created  him.  Then 
the  evangelist  explained  that  God  the  Creator  was  our 
God,  and  he  it  was  of  whom  he  came  to  speak. 

In  another  village  the  evangelists  heard  that  a 
resident  who  was  very  ill  had  sent  to  Ifeko,  one  day's 
journey,  for  a  witch-doctor.  The  medicine  man  came, 
and  before  looking  at  the  patient  demanded  a  dog  to 
begin  with.  The  dog  was  brought.  Then  he  said :  "The 
medicine  is  in  the  forest,  but  I  will  sit  down  here  a  few 
days  to  diagnose  your  case  before  I  go  to  get  it."  The 
patient  was  afflicted  with  dropsy,  which  the  medicine 
man  said  he  could  cure  so  that  he  would  become  as 
slim  as  his  finger.  The  third  day  the  doctor  was  him- 
self taken  with  pneumonia,  the  dog  given  him  began 
to  have  fits,  and  the  news  came  that  one  of  his  wives 
had  suddenly  died.  The  evangelists  were  called,  but 
frankly  told  him  they  had  no  medicine  for  pneumonia. 
This  gave  them  a  text  from  which  to  preach  on  the 


118  Bolenge 

heathen  deceits  and  practices  of  witch-doctors,  the  end 
of  which  was  the  way  of  death.  It  was  an  opportune 
time  for  teaching,  and  they  exhorted  the  people  to 
drop  that  life  and  seek  after  the  truth  as  revealed  to 
them  through  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  of  whom  they 
had  come  to  tell  them.  The  message  found  a  ready 
hearing.  A  few  days  later  the  witch-doctor  himself 
died,  impressing  upon  them  the  words  heard. 

The  story  of  the  opening  of  the  first  out-station, 
Bonkombo,  with  a  family  located  there,  has  already 
been  told  in  these  pages;  that  was  only  the  beginning 
of  this  new  work.  About  the  same  time  another  fea- 
ture developed.  Chiefs  of  inland  villages  sent  deputa- 
tions to  demand  teachers,  offering  to  build  a  chapel 
and  house  for  the  teacher  who  would  come.  This  was 
a  long  stride  in  the  right  direction,  and  welcomed  by 
all  as  a  sign  of  the  times. 

The  yearly  report  of  1906  contained  these  words: 
"The  native  church  has  grown  in  spiritual  depth  and 
independence.  The  chapel  is  too  small.  Fifty  have 
been  added  by  baptism,  making  a  membership  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-seven.  They  support  thirteen 
evangelists.  A  very  fruitful  and  permanent  work  is 
done  by  these  earnest,  consecrated  workers.  Their  re- 
turn from  their  trips  every  two  months  is  a  time  of 
great  rejoicing  and  enthusiasm.  They  bring  with  them 
the  most  sincere  and  earnest  seekers  of  the  communi- 
ties where  they  have  been  preaching,  as  the  fruits  of 
their  labors.  This  work  is  developing  very  rapidly,  and 
it  will  be  limited  only  by  our  ability  to  support  men 
in  it.  Evangelism  is  the  distinctive  feature  of  the 
work  at  Bolenge,  and  we  feel  it  is  the  only  method  by 


A   group   of    native    evangelists    supported    by   the    Bolenge 

Church. 


jNIrs.  Dye  and  some  of  the  orphan  girls  at  Bolenge. 


A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism      119 

which  all  the  great  black  areas  can  be  reached.  The 
ultimate  evangelization  of  Africa  depends  largely  upon 
her  own  children.  The  preparation  of  evangelists  is 
increasingly  demanding  the  establishment  of  a  training- 
school." 

Meanwhile  the  work  up  the  Bosira  aroused  the 
Jealousy  of  the  Catholics.  They  incited  the  Catholic 
Government  officers  to  persecution.  They  haled  the 
evangelists  before  the  commandant,  who  falsely  accused 
them  of  inciting  the  natives  to  refuse  to  pay  taxes  or 
work  for  the  Government.  They  were  forthwith  sent 
to  the  Judge,  who  let  them  off,  but  forbade  their  return. 
They  went  as  before,  but  again  were  shamefully  used 
by  the  petty  officials,  and  returned.  Three  times  an 
attempt  was  made.  The  last  time  the  chief  of  the 
villages,  who  had  welcomed  them  before,  dared  not  now 
permit  them  to  land  or  to  preach  in  the  villages,  where 
for  over  a  year  they  had  gone  freely  in  and  out  as  wel- 
come guests.  Catholic  catechists  were  placed  in  every 
village  and  our  evangelists  were  haughtily  ordered  away, 
and  were  compelled  even  to  sleep  on  sand  bars  and  in 
the  wild  forest.  Soon  after  this,  however,  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements  made  it  possible  for  the  missionaries 
to  go  up  there  and  re-establish  the  work,  for  the  natives 
did  not  desire  Catholic  teaching.  Iso  Timothy  was  put 
in  charge  of  Longa.  At  the  close  of  1907  the  member- 
ship of  the  church  at  Bolenge  was  three  hundred  and 
one,  one  hundred  and  eighty  having  been  received  during 
the  year  and  thirty-five  evangelists  being  supported. 
That  year  saw  steady  progress  in  every  department,  and 
new  fields  opened  up  everywhere.  The  year's  report  for 
1908  was  the  best  of  all,  showing  a  membership  of 


120  Bolenge 

four  hundred  and  fifty-one,  representing  fifty-four  vil- 
lages, scattered  far  and  wide.  In  that  report  we  read: 
"There  are  hundreds  of  miles  of  country  and  thousands 
of  villages  the  mission  has  not  yet  reached  even  so  much 
as  once  with  an  evangelist.  A  very  crying  need  is  for 
a  school  for  evangelists." 

It  is  surprising  how  well  these  natives  preach  and 
teach,  considering  the  little  time  spent  in  regular  train- 
ing. As  has  been  intimated,  they  are  sharp  and  quick, 
and  draw  many  lessons  from  their  own  native  cus- 
toms and  stories. 

There  is  a  strange  custom  practiced  in  making 
peace  between  two  villages  that  have  been  at  war.  A 
sum  of  money  is  pooled  and  a  slave  is  bought,  who  is 
tied  high  in  a  tree  midway  between  the  two  villages, 
■where  he  is  left  to  starve  and  die  as  a  propitiation. 
This  is  a  fine  foundation  on  which  to  build  the  story 
of  the  Christ  who  was  a  voluntary  propitiation  for  the 
whole  world.  They  are  clear,  steady  speakers  with  no 
mean  oratorical  ability,  and  hold  their  listeners  spell- 
bound as  they  lead  them  on  to  the  climax. 

One  of  these  evangelists  preaching  at  Longa,  on  the 
Bosira,  from  the  parable  of  the  mustard  seed,  said  that 
the  tiny  seed  had  been  planted  there  two  years  before 
when  he  and  others  had  first  come  to  preach.  Then 
he  went  on  to  show  the  expanding  force  of  the  gospel; 
how  even  some  of  their  number  had  accepted  Christ 
and  endured  terrible  persecutions  for  His  sake,  and 
that  on  the  morrow,  more  were  to  be  buried  with  Him 
in  baptism.  In  closing,  he  told  them  that  the  little 
bush  would  one  day  grow  to  be  a  great  tree — a  mighty 


A  Powerful  Native  Evangelism      121 

church — and  that  many  thousands  would  bow  the  knee 
to  Jesus  as  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  This 
prophecy  is  already  being  fulfilled,  as  the  church  has 
now  been  established  and  the  vanguard  of  the  coming 
thousands  is  in  sight. 

On  that  day  before  mentioned,  when  the  itinerating 
caravan  stopped  in  the  Bacwa  village  of  dwarfs,  one  of 
the  younger  and  less  experienced  evangelists  arose  to 
speak.  He  said:  '^Vhen  the  Son  of  God  was  here  on 
earth,  a  Bacwa  woman  came  to  him  one  day,  and  asked 
Him  to  cast  a  demon  out  of  her  daughter."  Every  eye 
was  upon  him  and  every  ear  attentive.  "But  Jesus  said 
to  her:  Tiet  the  children  be  satisfied  first,  for  it  is  not 
meet  to  take  the  children's  bread  and  cast  it  unto  the 
dogs.'"  This  was  the  very  epithet  cast  at  the  Bacwa 
by  the  ISfkundos,  and  every  eye  snapped  fire  and  every 
hand  gripped  the  bow  more  tightly,  but  they  sat  and 
watched  and  listened.  "The  Bacwa  woman  answered 
Jesus,  Tes,  Master;  but  even  the  dogs  under  the  table 
eat  the  children's  crumbs.'"  Murmurs  of  applause 
went  over  the  little  audience  as  they  realized  that  the 
Bacwa  woman  had  answered  well  the  white  man's 
Teacher,  whom  they  called  the  Son  of  God.  Then  the 
evangelist,  having  gained  their  attention  and  good 
will,  went  on  to  explain  to  them  the  life  of  Christ  as 
exemplified  in  the  miracle  of  the  Syrophenician  woman's 
daughter.  This  was  a  clever  application  of  the  story 
and  wholly  original  with  him. 

Thus  the  new  lessons  are  linked  to  the  old  and  the 
word  is  preached  with  power.  So  through  danger,  pri- 
vation, and  persecution  the  dauntless  apostles  of  the 


122  Bolenge 

Nkundo  race  have  carried,  are  carrying,  and  will  carry 
the  light  and  life  of  the  Son  of  man  into  every  dark- 
ened region  of  that  black  land  until  He  come  again. 
"The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a 
great  light,  they  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  upon  them  hath  the  light  shined." 


CHAPTER   XIV 
Joseph  and  Lonkoko 

For  three  years  our  work  at  Bolenge  was  attended 
with  great  difficulty  and  discouragement.  First  the 
spoken  language  of  the  people  must  be  learned.  Then 
this  had  to  be  reduced  to  written  form  and  a  literature 
created  for  the  people.  At  the  same  time  we  strove  in 
all  ways  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  natives,  and  in 
return  to  give  them  as  they  were  able  to  receive  it,  the 
words  of  eternal  life.  Day  school  was  opened  and  medi- 
cine dispensed — from  the  bath-room  window.  The 
station  grounds  were  kept  in  order  for  the  sake  of 
health,  fresh  foods  were  grown  and  the  homes  kept  in 
repair,  all  of  which  required  much  hard  labor.  The 
difficulties  of  housekeeping  in  a  tropical  climate  under 
a  thatched  roof  were  greater  than  they  might  seem, 
and  much  time  was  consumed  in  these  more  menial 
duties.  In  spite  of  this,  regular  services  were  held  and 
a  Sunday-school,  all  in  one  class,  was  organized.  Spe- 
cial meetings  for  women  once  or  twice  a  week  were 
started,  and  short  preaching  trips  were  made  to  nearby 
villages.  No  attempt  was  made  to  have  an  emotional 
revival  or  evangelistic  effort.  It  seemed  wisest  to  wait 
until  a  desire  for  a  changed  life  manifested  itself  in  the 
lives  of  the  people.  One  of  the  slaves  who  had  been 
redeemed  by  the  former  missionaries  was  a  lad  named 

123 


124  Bolenge 

Joseph.  His  original  home  was  somewhere  around 
Stanley  Falls,  and  there  he  had  been  captured  and  sold. 
His  masters  having  changed  from  time  to  time,  he  was 
carried  farther  and  farther  from  his  old  home.  Thus 
he  gradually  forgot  most  of  his  own  language.  He  was 
an  expert  fisherman,  using  a  big  seine  net,  and  was 
very  profitable  to  his  various  masters.  Finally  he  was 
redeemed  by  the  missionary,  and  came  to  make  his 
home  at  Bolenge.  His  slave  name  was  dropped  and  he 
was  called  Josefa  (Joseph),  a  name  that  seemed  most 
fitting  for  a  boy  thus  carried  into  slavery  to  a  distant 
country  where  he  had  to  learn  another  language.  For 
some  time  he  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  fisherman.  He 
was  successful  and  supplied  fish  not  only  for  the  table 
of  the  missionary,  and  for  the  orphanage  children,  but 
even  had  much  left  over  to  sell.  Then,  in  the  prime 
of  his  young  manhood,  a  strange  malady  attacked  him. 
This  disease  affected  not  only  his  flesh  but  also  his 
bones,  so  that  for  years  his  life  was  a  horrible  night- 
mare of  intense  agony.  There  was  then  no  medical 
missionary  on  the  whole  reach  of  the  Upper  Congo, 
and  although  there  were  others  having  medical  skill, 
this  pitiful  case  baffled  them.  Joseph  was  the  first 
person  to  whom  the  attention  of  Dr.  Dye  was  called. 
Joseph  alone  had  kept  his  faith  in  God  when  all  the 
others  returned  to  heathenism.  When  Dr.  Dye  first 
saw  him  he  was  terribly  crippled,  and  also  partially 
paralyzed.  He  spoke  indistinctly  and  with  great  diffi- 
culty a  few  words  of  several  different  languages,  having 
chosen  from  each  the  words  that  were  easiest  for  him 
to  enunciate.  He  was  often  seized  with  sudden  spasms 
of  pain,  causing  him  to  shriek  in  unutterable  agony. 


Joseph  and  Lonkoko  125 

During  these  spasms  his  muscles  would  contract  iintil 
his  bones  would  break.  During  the  days  of  our  in- 
stallation at  Bolenge  we  heard  for  the  first  time  that 
piercing  cry,  and  hastened  to  find  some  means  of  re- 
lieving the  suiferer.  The  case  was  of  such  long  stand- 
ing that  no  ordinary  means  would  stay  its  progress,  so 
the  advice  of  eminent  physicians  in  New  York  City 
was  sought,  and  with  some  success.  The  joy  of  Joseph 
knew  no  bounds  as  he  felt  the  old  pains  gradually  cease 
and  strength  return.  How  often  we  wished  he  could 
Lave  felt  the  healing  touch  of  the  Master,  for  even 
after  his  release  from  pain  his  body  was  most  horribly 
deformed ! 

There  was  then  a  boys'  dormitory  on  the  station, 
with  small  rooms  opening  out  on  both  sides.  Joseph 
occupied  one  of  these  small  rooms  because  of  his  trust- 
worthy character  and  his  wholesome,  quiet  influence 
over  the  boys.  He  had  been  such  a  terrible  sufferer  for 
so  long  that  he  could  then  seldom  even  sit  up.  All 
through  the  day  he  lay  patiently  upon  his  board  pallet, 
with  a  look  on  his  face  which  comes  to  those  who 
have  the  fellowship  of  Christ  in  suffering.  Even  then, 
when  helpless  and  confined  to  his  bed,  he  was  trusted 
by  all.  He  became  the  "banker,"  not  for  the  mission 
boys  alone,  but  for  people  of  the  heathen  village  as 
well. 

Before  his  affliction  he  had  learned  to  read  and 
write  a  little,  and,  having  a  quick,  retentive  memory, 
he  had  stored  away  treasures  of  story  and  song,  on 
which  he  feasted  in  his  hours  of  loneliness.  Little  by 
little  he  grew  stronger.  He  could  soon  sit  on  a  stool 
in  the  doorway,  and  later  learned  to  hitch  himself  down 


126  Bolenge 

the  little  flight  of  steps  that  led  from  his  tiny  upper 
chamber.  The  heathen  resigns  himself  to  die  on  the 
most  trifling  provocation,  but  not  so  Christian  Joseph. 
His  life  became  a  burning  and  shining  light.  He  had 
no  use  of  his  entire  right  side,  and  but  limited  use 
of  the  left,  yet  he  made  a  saw  from  a  piece  of  strap 
iron,  and  with  it  sawed  all  of  his  own  firewood.  He 
had  a  little  use  of  his  left  hand.  By  holding  the  cords 
with  his  toes  and  his  teeth  he  tied  fish  nets  and  made 
little  fish  traps,  which  he  rented  to  the  children  and 
young  men.  Thus  he  earned  part  of  his  own  living. 
He  also  took  the  native  peppers  and  ground  them  to  a 
powder  in  a  mortar.  This  he  mixed  with  salt  and  sold 
it  in  small  quantities  to  eager  buyers.  He  also  raised 
fowls  and  sold  them.  Though  uncomely  to  look  upon, 
he  wore  a  ready  smile  which  transformed  his  face  and 
won  all  hearts.  From  his  little  doorway  he  could  watch 
the  mission  baby,  whom  he  had  named  Okuki,  as  she 
played  about  the  house.  The  natives  had  called  her 
the  little  white  spirit.  Joseph  and  Okuki  soon  formed 
a  close  friendship,  and  amused  themselves  by  calling 
back  and  forth  to  each  other  during  the  heat  of  the 
day.  Then  when  the  sun  was  down  and  it  was  safe 
for  the  little  toddler  to  run  out  of  doors,  on  would  go 
her  little  hat,  and  over  to  Joseph  she  would  run  as 
fdst  as  her  little  feet  could  carry  her.  There  we  were 
sure  to  find  her,  seated  on  a  stick  of  wood,  entertaining 
him  with  her  limited  vocabulary  of  Lonkundo.  His 
face  would  be  all  aglow  with  love  and  delight  as  he 
listened  to  her.  She  always  understood  him,  and  often 
of  her  own  accord  carried  him  an  orange,  a  banana,  or 
a  mango,  which,  though  too  common  to  be  a  delicacy  to 


Joseph  and  Lonkoko  127 

him,  was  prized  because  of  her  sweet  thoughtfulness. 
She  was  like  a  bright  beam  of  sunshine  in  his  life,  and 
be  cherished  her  memory  and  her  quaint  little  sayings 
to  the  day  of  his  death. 

Joseph  and  the  two  dozen  or  more  boys  who  roomed 
in  the  same  dormitory  cooked  their  dinner  every  night 
out  of  doors,  several  boys  clubbing  and  cooking  to- 
gether. Supper  is  the  chief  meal  of  the  day,  and  a 
time  for  general  gossip  and  recital  of  the  whole  day's 
doings.  These  boys  were  all  in  school,  and  as  Joseph 
could  already  read,  he  began  informally  to  read  to 
them  a  little.  Then  in  an  offhand  way  he  would  tell 
them  some  Bible  story  or  lesson  learned  from  the  white 
teachers.  Some  one  voluntarily  would  start  up  a  song, 
and  then  another,  until  several  were  sung.  Any  one 
spoke  as  the  inclination  came,  and  altogether  it  seemed 
like  a  somewhat  spirited  Quaker  meeting.  The  boys' 
house  was  raised  on  piles,  and  often  when  this  camp- 
fire  prayer -meeting  would  first  start,  the  boys  who  were 
not  interested  would  be  seated  about  their  own  little 
fire  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house,  evidently  paying 
no  attention  to  the  little  service.  It  was  never  long, 
however,  after  the  meeting  started  until  these  also 
joined  the  group.  None  were  invited,  so  these  meet- 
ings were  open  and  informal.  All  meetings  were  closed 
by  mutual  consent  at  any  time.  It  was  inspiring  to 
slip  quietly  over  after  they  were  assembled,  and,  seated 
on  a  log  of  firewood,  listen  to  that  simple  service.  How 
little  we  realized  into  what  it  was  destined  to  grow ! 

Before  long  a  few  people  from  the  village  began 
to  attend,  and  then  the  mission  work  changed  hands, 
new  workers  taking  the  place  of  the  old  ones  who  left 


128  Bolenge 

for  home  on  furlough.  The  little  meeting  thus  begun 
kept  up  with  ever-increasing  interest  until  there  was 
no  longer  room  about  the  camp  fire,  and  it  adjourned 
to  meet  in  the  chapel.  Joseph  was  carried  in  a  ham- 
mock and  placed  on  a  little  stool  which  was  reserved 
for  him  in  the  front  of  the  chapel. 

While  God  was  thus  preparing  the  soil  of  Bolenge, 
he  was  also  implanting  a  desire  elsewhere,  and  one  day 
a  marching  column  of  one  hundred  people  from  an 
inland  village  came  to  ask  for  teaching.  This  was  a 
genuine  revival,  without  the  human  agency  of  a  revi- 
valist. The  whole  subsequent  history  of  the  church 
has  proved  it  to  have  been  a  genuine  and  abiding  spir- 
itual awakening.  In  November  of  that  year,  1902,  the 
first  converts  were  baptized.  Great  care  was  taken  to 
make  sure  that  they  were  "intelligent  believers,"  able 
to  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  them. 

Many  of  the  regular  attendants  at  the  camp  fire 
prayer-meeting  were  admitted  to  the  church  at  this 
time.  Joseph  did  not  cease  this  quiet  work,  but  he 
took  up,  in  addition,  a  more  extended  ministry.  For 
several  years  he  was  carried  in  his  hammock  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  surrounding  villages.  A  little  house  was 
fitted  up  for  him  after  the  old  dormitory  was  torn 
down.  Here  beside  his  own  doorway  he  gathered  little 
groups  of  eager  learners,  whom  he  taught  the  way  of 
life  more  perfectly.  He  took  charge  of  the  sale  of  all 
fruit  on  the  mission  station  that  he  might  feel  he  was 
really  earning  his  livelihood. 

His  long  illness  made  him  an  easy  prey  to  disease. 
The  dread  scourge  of  Congo  came  upon  him  and  claimed 
him  as  its  victim.     He  bravely  fought  off  the  dread 


Joseph,  the  crippled  evangelist. 
The  hammock  in  which  he  was  carried  is  shown  at  the  left. 


Bonjolongo  and  one  hundred  people,  whom  he  brought  fifty 
miles  from  his  native  village  to  hear  the  gospel. 


Joseph  and  Lonkoko  129 

sleeping  sickness,  but  it  was  a  losing  fight.  How  he 
begged  to  return  to  his  old  home  to  preach  to  his  own 
people  before  he  died !  We  knew  it  was  impossible,  and 
had  to  refuse  his  pleadings.  Day  after  day,  as  long  as 
he  was  able,  faithful  friends  carried  him  to  give  a  last 
message  and  exhortation  to  those  still  out  of  Christ. 
When  he  gave  up  and  took  to  his  bed,  the  end  was 
in  sight.  He  was  mercifully  spared  a  lingering  death. 
His  death,  even  as  his  life,  was  triumphant.  Joseph 
went  to  receive  that  "crown  of  life"  promised  to  those 
who  are  "faithful  unto  death."  Surely  the  crown  of 
this  faithful  cripple  will  be  radiant  with  stars. 

The  first  man  to  be  baptized  was  Lonkoko.  He  was 
not  a  native  of  the  village  of  Bolenge,  but  was  one  who 
came  for  teaching.  His  own  heart  had  been  reaching 
out  after  God  until  he  was  led  where  he  could  find 
the  way  to  Him.  His  was  a  wonderful  experience,  for 
he  was  not  a  boy  but  a  man,  having  lived  the  heathen 
life  to  its  limit,  and  having  tasted  of  its  bitter  dregs. 
When,  therefore,  he  gave  up  his  numerous  wives,  and 
legally  married  one  wife,  set  free  his  slaves,  and  gave 
up  smoking  and  everything  that  savored  of  the  old 
life,  it  was  more  than  a  ten  days'  wonder. 

He  was  considered  insane,  and  vile;  sarcastic  epi- 
thets were  hurled  at  him  on  every  hand.  His  wife  was 
not  strong,  and  with  the  kindness  of  his  new  life  in  his 
soul  he  carried  water,  cut  firewood,  and  helped  her  in 
the  garden.  All  of  this,  according  to  heathen  ideas, 
was  strictly  woman's  work.  Accordingly,  they  jeered 
at  him  as  he  passed  along  the  streets.  "Oyala  nk! 
omoto-o!"  "You  have  become  only  a  woman,  have 
9 


130  Bolenge 

you?"  He  would  smile  and  return  some  pleasant  an- 
swer, which  was  an  even  greater  surprise,  for  what  man 
would  take  such  insults  without  at  least  returning  one 
better  than  was  given?  Surely  he  was  crazy.  He 
was  made  a  deacon  in  the  young  church,  and  none  can 
ever  forget  the  humility  with  which  he  always  serves 
at  the  Lord's  table.  His  demeanor  is  always  as  of  one 
wholly  unworthy  for  that  service.  He  steps  noiselessly 
about  with  downcast  eyes,  as  though  on  holy  ground. 
This  attitude  is  never  affected,  but  is  typical  of  his  new 
life  in  Christ.  He  was  one  of  the  first  evangelists  set 
apart  and  supported  by  the  native  church.  Except 
during  the  serious  illness  of  his  wife,  Mboyo,  the  own 
sister  of  Iso  Timothy,  and  her  subsequent  death  last 
year,  he  has  been  almost  constantly  away  preaching. 
He  it  was  who  alone,  against  the  advice  of  the 
natives  themselves,  took  a  canoe  and  paddled  across  the 
Boloko,  a  tortuous  inland  stream,  across  which  dwell 
the  most  cannibal  tribes  of  the  interior.  He  had  heard 
a  Macedonian  call  from  across  the  Boloko,  and  nothing 
would  prevent  his  going  to  answer  it,  though  it  might, 
as  he  well  knew,  mean  his  life.  So  this  soft-hearted, 
womanly  man  (as  they  called  him),  without  weapons, 
went  alone  to  preach  the  gospel  to  this  fierce,  hostile 
tribe ;  notorious,  in  that  they  never  let  any  man  return 
who  crossed  the  dividing  stream.  Across  the  Boloko, 
and  up  through  the  overgrown  jungle  path  he  went, 
until  he  stepped  out  unexpected  and  unannounced  into 
the  village  common.  Consternation  knew  no  bounds, 
and  the  wary  villagers  seized  their  weapons  and  came 
to  meet  him,  thinking  he  might  be  the  advance  guard 
of  an  enemy  coming  to  fight  them,  but,  if  so,  why 


Joseph  and  Lonkoko  131 

was  he  unarmed?  Lonkoko  soon  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  these  armed  savages,  demanding  who  and 
what  he  was ;  and  what  his  purpose  in  coming  to  them ; 
they  leeringly  reminding  him  that  those  who  came  thus, 
never  returned.  Then,  in  a  fearless,  straight-forward 
manner,  he  stood  forth  and  in  their  own  mother  tongue 
told  them  of  the  coming  of  the  white  teachers,  and  the 
wonderful  news  they  had  brought,  and  then  and  there 
"he  preached  unto  them  Jesus."  Long  before  he  fin- 
ished, they  had,  one  by  one,  laid  aside  their  spears  and 
bows,  and  were  quietly  squatted  on  the  ground,  listen- 
ing with  rapt  attention  to  the  marvelous  story.  As 
this  intrepid  young  man  spoke  to  them,  his  face  was 
aglow  with  a  light  they  had  never  seen  before.  Mur- 
murs of  assent  and  applause  punctuated  his  address,  as 
some  incident  appealed  to  them,  and,  when  the  narrative 
was  ended,  they  no  longer  threatened  him,  but  beset 
him  with  questions.  He  wanted  to  return  the  same 
day,  but  they  insisted  that  he  stay  all  night.  Then, 
trusting  himself  into  their  hands,  he  went  to  sleep  and 
was  undisturbed.  In  the  morning  he  gave  them  a 
farewell  message  and  departed,  with  a  promise  to  return 
soon,  bringing  others  with  him  to  teach  them.  Back 
again  across  the  Boloko  Lonkoko  paddled,  and  was 
met  by  groups  of  wondering  natives.  They  had  thought 
him  dead  when  he  did  not  return  the  previous  night. 
They  no  longer  called  him  a  woman.  The  news  of  his 
remarkable  bravery  and  escape  from  the  cannibal  vil- 
lage was  telegraphed  ahead  of  him  on  the  native  drums 
all  the  way  home.  He  arrived 'at  Bolenge  at  the  reg- 
ular time  of  the  convocation  of  all  the  evangelists.  The 
whole  church  was  soon  assembled  to  listen  to  the  tri- 


132  'Bolenge 

umphs  of  the  gospel.  Lonoko  arose,  and  in  his  quiet, 
unostentatious  manner  told  of  his  journey  and  the  out- 
come, closing  with  an  appeal  for  some  one  to  volunteer 
to  return  with  him.  Six  of  the  best  men  in  the  church 
arose.  They  did  go  back,  not  once,  but  again  and  again, 
and  there  are  in  the  church  at  Bolenge  to-day,  men  and 
women  from  across  the  Boloko,  whose  wild,  savage, 
cannibal  hearts  were  conquered  by  the  gospel  of  peace 
and  love.  Lonkoko  is  still  in  the  ranks,  searching  out 
more  lands  to  conquer  for  Christ. 


CHAPTEE   XV 
Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy 

There  are  a  few  names  that  will  ever  be  insep- 
arably linked  with  the  history  of  our  Congo  Mission. 
The  world  speaks  of  the  missionary,  but  except  for  these 
noble,  consecrated,  native  leaders  and  pioneers  the  work 
would  be  weak  indeed.  These  men  are  to  the  Congo 
church  what  the  missionaries  are  to  the  home  church. 
Their  names  and  their  work  deserve  to  be  as  well  known. 
They  were  recorded  in  the  book  on  high. 

One  of  these  pioneer  evangelists  to  his  own  race 
was  Fjoji,  the  son  of  old  Bonkanza,  the  witch-doctor  of 
Bolenge,  and  the  younger  brother  of  Bosekola,  both  of 
whose  lives  have  already  been  written  in  this  book.  The 
old  father  was  proudly  fond  of  this  boy,  and  our  first 
remembrance  of  him  is  as  he  accompanied  Bonkanza 
everywhere  he  went.  The  old  man's  favorite  bent  was 
fishing,  and  the  lad  soon  learned  to  be  an  expert.  Our 
table  often  bore  evidence  of  their  skill.  Especially  was 
this  true  when  visitors  came  to  us.  When  the  old 
witch-doctor  would  hear  the  mission  steamer  whistle, 
he  would  push  off  his  canoe,  and  before  it  was  time  to 
prepare  the  evening  meal  he  would  come  smilingly 
up  the  front  walk  and  in  at  the  front  door  with  a  string 
of  fish.  His  attire  at  such  times  was  extremely  funny, 
for  he  would  have  on  every  garment  he  possessed.    He 

133 


134  Bolenge 

liked  shirts,  and  occasionally  we  gave  him  one  in  grate- 
ful recognition  of  the  fish  and  wild  meat  which  he 
gave  to  us  so  frequently.  Having  no  cuff  or  collar 
buttons,  he  would  tie  the  neck  and  wrist  bands  with 
strings.  When  making  a  hasty  toilet  he  never  stopped 
to  untie  these,  but  put  his  head  and  arms  out  through 
the  larger  slits  in  the  bosom  and  sleeves.  This  left 
the  collar  band  hanging,  securely  tied,  out  behind  his 
head,  and  the  empty  wristbands  dangling  about  his 
hands.  Over  all  these  European  clothes  he  would 
have  one  or  two  blankets  wrapped  about  him,  the  end 
of  one  thrown  over  his  shoulder  hiding  one  hand.  Thus 
attired  he  often  appeared,  his  genial  old  face  abeam 
with  satisfaction  as  with  perfect  ease  and  courtesy  of 
manner  he  went  from  one  to  another  of  the  assembled" 
company  of  missionaries,  shaking  hands.  He  considered 
them  all  his  friends,  and  the  courtly  way  in  which  he 
greeted  them  made  it  appear  as  though  he  were  doing 
them  a  distinguished  honor.  After  having  gone  the 
rounds,  he  would  motion  for  me  to  come  out  in  the  next 
room.  There,  hidden  from  the  view  of  the  company, 
although  he  kept  one  eye  on  them,  he  would  draw  out 
from  behind  the  fold  of  the  blanket  a  fine  string  of 
fish,  saying  he  thought  with  so  many  visitors  I  would 
need  some  fisli.  He  was  a  generation  ahead  of  the  rest 
of  his  race.  It  was  thus  the  old  man  taught  his  little 
boy  to  be  always  a  friend  of  the  white  man.  He  it  was 
who  brought  Njoji  to  school  and  always  kept  him  there 
to  acquire  the  wisdom  of  the  white  man.  He  became 
one  of  the  first  pupils,  and,  by  diligence  in  study,  be- 
came one  of  the  first  pupil  teachers,  although  still  but  a 
boy. 


Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy        135 

The  father  died  and  Bosekola,  who  stood  in  his 
father's  stead,  also  soon  sickened.  Bosekola  wanted 
Njoji  to  follow  his  profession  and  be  a  witch-doctor; 
and  before  his  death  delivered  to  him  his  medicine  bag 
and  charms,  explaining  their  secrets.  The  father  and 
the  older  brother  were  both  buried  with  all  the  heathen 
rites  and  ceremonies  befitting  their  rank.  After  their 
death  Njoji  continued  his  attendance  at  school,  and 
became  one  of  those  who  first  made  known  their  desire 
to  become  a  Christian.  Njoji  had  inherited  all  the 
wives  and  slaves  of  both  father  and  brother,  besides  their 
lucrative  profession  and  chieftainship  of  their  section 
of  the  village.  The  wives  were  left  free  to  return  to 
their  own  people  or  remain  where  they  were.  The 
slaves  became  as  his  own  brothers,  sharing  with  him  the 
care  of  his  mother  and  the  aged  wives  of  his  father. 
When  Njoji  was  sent  as  an  evangelist,  they  remained 
to  look  after  his  interests  until,  one  by  one,  they  all 
became  Christians  with  him.  One  of  the  happiest  days 
of  his  life  was  when  he  saw  his  own  mother  confess 
her  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  be  baptized  in  the  Congo. 
His  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

He  was  the  first  pioneer  who  went  to  open  up  work 
on  the  Bosira,  and  the  value  of  his  teaching  there  can 
not  be  estimated.  The  results  are  seen  to-day  in  the 
new  station  opened  at  Longa,  which  was  the  basis 
of  his  operations  in  the  early  days.  He  is  a  strong 
preacher,  and,  because  of  his  father's  fame,  he  is  always 
received  with  hearty  welcome  by  the  chief  men.  He 
has  only  to  ask,  "Did  you  know  Bonkanza?"  (Who, 
indeed,  did  not  know  him  in  the  old  days?)  When 
they  answer  in  chorus  with  a  hearty,  "Yes,"  he  will 


136  Bolenge 

tell  them  that  he  was  his  son.  More  than  any  other,  he 
has  the  power  to  break  their  faith  in  the  old  supersti- 
tions, because  he  knew  and  could  reveal  to  them  the 
deceit  and  trickery  practiced  upon  them,  and  they  never 
doubt  his  word  for  a  moment. 

Njoji  had  a  wonderful  grasp  of  his  own  language,  a 
wide  vocabulary  and  spoke  as  do  the  elders,  in  proverbs 
and  with  pure  literary  style.  Little  time  had  been  de- 
voted to  the  translation  of  the  language,  because  little 
time  was  left  for  that.  When  it  came  time  for  our 
second  furlough,  in  1907,  the  field  committee  thought 
it  advisable  to  bring  one  of  the  native  teachers  home 
to  help  in  translation  work.  Many  would  have  liked 
to  come,  but  the  missionaries  were  unanimously  in 
favor  of  Njoji,  because  of  his  strong,  sensible  nature 
and  his  proficiency  in  the  language.  He  was  called 
and  the  question  presented  to  him.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  he  answered:  "Yes,  I  will  go,  not  because  I 
desire  to  see  the  splendors  of  the  white  man's  country 
or  to  come  back  and  live  in  its  glories,  but  if  I  can 
thereby  learn  more  of  God  and  assist  in  giving  His 
word  to  my  people,  I  will  go."  But  a  few  weeks  were 
left  at  home,  and  these  were  spent  in  making  provision 
for  his  wife  and  his  people.  He  had  married,  not  from 
the  heathen  village,  but  from  among  the  mission  girls. 
He,  of  course,  was  a  tither,  and  in  fishing  would  bring 
his  first  fish  as  his  ofllering,  saying  he  might  not  get 
ten,  but  the  Lord  must  have  His  share  anyway.  His 
heathen  relatives  and  friends  now  tried  to  dissuade  him 
from  going,  and  accused  him  of  everything  they  could 
think  of.  Amba,  his  wife,  however,  stood  by  him  and 
bravely  bade  him  go.     His  experiences  on  the  ocean, 


Mark  Njoji  and  I  so  Timothy        137 

in  England,  and  his  first  impressions  of  America  would 
fill  a  book  themselves.  Imagine  what  such  a  trip  would 
mean  to  an  erstwhile  heathen,  whose  life  and  the  life 
of  whose  ancestors  had  been  confined  to  the  narrow 
limits  of  a  small  village  or  section  of  country.  His 
first  thought  of  the  sky-scrapers  in  New  York  City  was 
that  they  must  have  grown  up  out  of  the  ground.  He 
saw  civilization  from  a  new  point  of  view.  His  de- 
scriptions given  in  his  home  letters  were  realistic  and 
lively.  The  winter  which  he  spent  in  Michigan  with 
us  was  the  most  severe  for  many  years.  Njoji  never 
ceased  wondering  at  the  snow  and  ice  and  wagons 
without  wheels.  These  things  were  more  marvelous  to 
him  than  automobiles,  for  he  had  seen  launches  and 
steamers,  and  were  not  automobiles  land  launches? 

For  a  year  the  broken  health  of  the  writer  prevented 
any  work  on  the  language.  On  this  account  Njoji  was 
token  to  Battle  Creek,  where  Dr.  Kellogg  kindly  ap- 
prenticed him  in  the  printing  house.  He  had  as  yet 
but  a  very  limited  knowledge  of  English,  but  here,  away 
from  any  one  who  could  speak  to  him  in  his  own 
language,  he  acquired  English  rapidly.  He  became  a 
marvel  to  those  with  whom  he  worked  because  of  the 
skill  and  aptitude  shown  in  whatever  he  undertook. 
He  never  learned  any  slang,  but  seemed  to  pick  out 
the  best  and  leave  the  rest,  so  that  he  spoke  purer 
English  than  many  others  about  him. 

In  September  of  1908  we  went  to  the  Sanitarium 
for  the  winter,  and  while  there  employed  every  day 
possible  in  translation  work.  Njoji  was  now  taking 
the  regular  course  in  hydrotherapy,  and  spending  every 
afternoon  giving  treatments,  in  which  he  showed  re- 


138  Bolenge 

markable  skill.  His  forenoons  and  evenings  were  spent 
in  helping  to  translate  the  Gospels  into  his  language. 
In  this  he  was  excellent  help,  especially  in  detecting 
fine  shades  of  meaning  and  in  the  employment  of 
native  idioms.  He  never  became  tired  of  this  and  felt 
at  last  repaid  for  coming  so  far  from  home. 

This  last  spring,  after  having  been  a  year  at  the 
''World's  Greatest  Sanitarium,"  he  left  to  come  with 
us  to  Illinois.  Here,  while  waiting  patiently  but  eagerly 
for  the  time  when  he  should  start  for  home,  he  helped 
in  revising  the  Gospel  of  Mark,  and  in  the  revision  and 
completion  of  a  synopsis  of  the  Lonkundo  Grammar. 
But  for  his  wife  he  would  have  stayed  longer,  though 
he  was  often  homesick  to  get  back.  Not  homesick  for 
his  people  so  much  as  homesick  to  teach  and  preach  to 
them  from  the  store  of  treasures  he  had  laid  by  in 
his  mind  and  heart.  He  seemed  unspoiled  by  his  com- 
ing, and,  in  a  remarkable  way,  understood  and  made 
allowances  for  the  weakness  and  failings  of  so-called 
Christians  here  at  home.  The  Congo  work  was  com- 
mended to  all  who  saw  him  because  of  his  fine  face 
and  sterling  character.  He  was  devoted  to  us  and  to 
the  children,  who  returned  his  affection  and  talked 
often  with  him  of  their  going  to  Africa  and  seeing 
him  again  some  day  when  they  were  old  enough.  His 
parting  with  us  as  he  returned  to  Africa  with  Dr.  Dye 
was  hard,  and  his  farewell  message  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. His  letters  since  leaving  have  been  full  of 
comfort  and  cheer,  and  he  says  as  we  feel  lonely  in 
their  absence,  so  his  own  heart  is  '^broken  in  pieces" 
at  the  thought  that  he  can  no  longer  see  us.  As  these 
words  are  being  penned  a  line  comes  from  England 


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Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy         139 

which  he  closes  thus,  "From  one  who  loves  you  as  a 
very  own  child."  He  has  gone  back  in  the  same  spirit 
in  which  he  came,  his  sole  desire  being  to  more  effi- 
ciently preach  the  ^Yord  of  God  to  his  countrymen. 
Surely  he  was  led  of  God  in  coming,  and  the  same 
power  will  make  him  mighty  in  turning  many  souls  to 
righteousness.  We  think  of  old  Bonkanza  and  his  oft- 
repeated  injunction  to  the  little  lad,  "Always  be  a  friend 
to  the  white  man,"  and  wish  he  could  have  lived  to 
see  how  Njoji  became  not  only  a  friend  to  the  white 
man,  but  also  the  white  man's  friend. 

Another  one  of  these  early  leaders  was  Iso  Timothy. 
He  also  was  of  the  nobility,  his  father  and  uncles  being 
chiefs.  His  home  was  Bolenge  while  a  little  child,  and 
when  the  station  was  first  opened,  before  it  was  taken 
over  by  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society,  he 
was  a  bright,  sunny-faced  boy.  He  was  interested  in 
all  the  wonderful  new  buildings  and  became  a  favorite 
of  the  missionary;  he  was  not  afraid  of  the  missionary. 
Often  he  rode  to  the  forest,  where  the  timber  was  being 
cut,  perched  on  the  white  man's  shoulder.  His  father 
died  and  his  mother  went  to  be  the  wife  of  another 
man  away  from  Bolenge,  taking  her  little  son  and  baby 
daughter.  So  they  were  moved  from  the  influence  of 
the  mission.  When  he  grew  to  boyhood,  however,  his 
desire  was  to  go  to  work  for  the  white  people,  so  he  went 
to  be  general  boy  or  servant  to  a  State  officer.  In  this 
way  he  traveled  the  country  over  and  learned  much  of 
the  ways  of  white  people — the  unprincipled  ways  of  the 
petty  Government  official  and  trader.  Of  course,  Iso 
fell  into  many  bad  habits.     The  wine  and  champagne 


140  Bolenge 

bottles  were  often  given  him  to  finish ;  and  smoBng  was 
a  virtue.  Following  the  example  of  his  white  master, 
he  took  no  wife  but  lived  a  life  of  wantonness.  There 
were  no  schools  to  which  he  could  go,  yet  he  had  a 
craving  to  know  what  the  characters  meant  on  the 
letters  received  by  his  white  man.  He  would  copy 
these  over  and  over  until  he  could  imitate  the  writing, 
but  did  not  know  their  meaning.  Finally,  having  fin- 
ished his  contract  or  "book"  with  the  white  man,  he 
came  to  Bolenge.  He  found  children  going  to  school 
and  learning  just  what  he  wanted  to  know.  He  re- 
mained and  entered  school,  being  at  that  time  a  young 
man  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  old. 

He  was  eager  for  knowledge  and  learned  rapidly. 
In  his  wanderings  he  had  acquired  many  languages;  as 
soon  as  he  could  read,  he  bought  books  from  other 
missions  whose  language  he  knew.  In  this  way  he 
had  access  to  all  of  the  Bible  that  had  been  trans- 
lated into  any  language  on  the  Upper  Congo.  His  de- 
sire for  knowledge  alone  led  to  his  desire  for  something 
deeper,  and  he  too  became  one  of  the  first  converts. 
From  his  long  contact  with  French-speaking  people  he 
had  picked  up  much  of  their  language,  and  also  a  polite- 
ness and  polish  not  natural  to  the  untutored  savage. 
He  taught  his  own  sister,  who  accepted  Christ  and  be- 
came the  wife  of  Lonkoko,  the  first  convert  at  Bolenge, 
who  is  spoken  of  elsewhere.  For  a  long  time  he  was 
stationed  at  the  Government  post  as  evangelist,  where 
he  did  a  great  work.  There  he  met  and  fell  in  love 
with  the  sister  of  Ibuka,  the  great  State  chief,  but  she 
had  been  legally  married  to  a  man  who  had  since  taken 
other  wives.     She  had  left  him,  but  could  not  be  free 


Mark  Njoji  and  Iso  Timothy         141 

from  him.  For  two  years,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
heathen,  these  two  waited,  trying  every  means  to  free 
her.  Their  exemplary  lives  meanwhile  greatly  recom- 
mended their  profession  of  religion  to  the  heathen,  who 
did  not  deem  such  constancy  possible.  Finally  they 
were  married,  and  it  was  a  day  of  joy  to  the  whole 
church  and  community. 

Iso  was  an  ideal  pioneer,  possessing  those  qualities 
that  win  the  good-will  of  black  and  white  alike.  I  can 
think  of  no  field  now  occupied  by  evangelists  where  Iso 
has  not  gone,  either  to  open,  or  to  follow  up  and  estab- 
lish the  work.  He  it  was  who  was  instrumental  in 
God's  hands  in  opening  the  wonderful  work  at  Monyeka, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  beyond  Longa,  on  the  Bo- 
sira.  There  he  goes  to  spend  four  months  at  a  time  be- 
cause of  the  distance  from  here.  He  is  as  well  versed  in 
the  Catholic  litany  as  any  follower  of  theirs,  yea,  better. 
He  can  quote  to  them  pages  and  pages  out  of  their  im- 
perfectly translated  books,  and  rails  on  them  for  not 
even  living  up  to  their  own  teaching.  He  has  been 
called  to  have  many  an  argument  with  the  head  priest, 
whom  he  has  worsted  on  every  occasion,  until  now  their 
followers  and  catechists  are  warned  not  to  argue  with 
him.  Iso  is  a  worthy  follower  of  Alexander  Campbell, 
for  in  all  these  debates  he  keeps  cool;  is  gracious  and 
pleasant  toward  all. 

At  Monyeka  the  witch-doctors  banded  against  Iso, 
seeing  in  his  teaching  the  destruction  of  their  power. 
One  day  they  came  into  the  street  and  calling  the  crowds 
together,  told  them  they  had  placed  medicine  in  the 
path  which  would  cause  the  death  of  a  certain  man 
before  night.  Iso  demanded  to  be  shown  the  medicine, 
and  in  the  sight  of  all  picked  it  up  and  swallowed  it. 


142  Bolenge 

They  watched  to  see  him  fall  down  in  convulsions  and 
die,  but  to  their  amazement  he  stood  right  there  and 
preached  to  them  of  the  trickery  of  their  witch-doctors, 
telling  them  that  their  only  sure  protection  was  faith 
in  a  living  God.  Again  we  hear  the  voice  of  the  Master 
speaking  to  the  apostles,  "If  they  drink  any  deadly 
thing,  it  shall  in  no  wise  hurt  them."  After  this  the 
whole  town  gathered  together  and  drove  the  witch- 
doctors from  their  village.  He  was  soon  to  find,  how- 
ever, that  these  men  were  not  the  only  enemies  of  the 
truth.  While  he  was  absent  a  week  or  two,  the  Cath- 
olics sent  catechists  who  decorated  the  inhabitants  with 
their  tin  badges,  telling  them  the  English  religion  was 
worthless  for  they  had  no  sign,  but  that  their  badges 
would  save  them.  They  were  made  to  believe  that  this 
new  fetish  would  save  from  fire  or  drowning.  "When 
Iso  returned  he  found  to  his  disgust  and  disappoint- 
ment a  catechist  calmly  usurping  his  place.  Quick  as  a 
flash  a  sudden  thought  occurred  to  him,  and  that  night 
as  the  people  were  gathered  around  the  fire,  their  chief 
in  the  midst,  Iso  began  to  speak  to  them  of  their  new 
medals.  Turning  to  the  chief  he  said,  "If  that  charm 
will  save  you  from  fire,  it  will  surely  stand  fire,  will  it 
not?"  In  a  moment  the  string  was  cut  off  his  neck, 
and,  handing  it  to  a  lad,  he  bade  him  toss  it  in  the 
fire.  It  quickly  melted  before  his  eyes,  and  the  nest 
day  every  charm  was  gone  and  the  catechist  too. 

Iso  is  still  at  Monyeka,  where  people  are  voluntarily 
giving  up  their  polygamy  and  seeking  to  follow  Christ, 
not  by  tens  and  twenties,  but  by  hundreds. 

"And  in  none  other  is  there  salvation ;  for  neither  is 
there  any  other  name  under  heaven,  that  is  given 
among  men,  wherein  we  must  be  saved." 


CHAPTEE    XVI 
LOKANGE,  THE   CONVERTED  TaX  GaTHERER 

As  A  result  of  the  evangelistic  itinerations  into  the 
interior  some  of  the  strongest  characters  in  the  church 
were  developed.  They  were  like  the  black  diamond,  the 
dark  exterior  being  the  blackness  of  the  old,  sinful  life. 
As  this  was  worn  away  the  clear  brightness  of  the 
gem  itself  began  to  appear.  One  of  the  least  prom- 
ising of  all  in  the  large  inland  village  of  Bonsole  was 
a  man  past  middle  life  named  Lokange.  The  wonder- 
ful story  of  his  conversion,  as  recently  written  by 
Dr.  Dye,  is  as  follows: 

Of  all  the  wild  men  of  the  wild  cannibal  village  of 
Bonsole,  Lokange  was  conceded  to  be  the  wildest.  They 
called  him  "Bokol'  Etaka,"  which  means  literally  "the 
hard  nut,"  "the  iron-wood."  Always  ready  for  a  fight, 
always  picking  a  quarrel,  always  leading  his  wild  can- 
nibal village  in  its  bloody  raids  on  the  neighboring 
forest  peoples,  Lokange  was  well  chosen  by  his  chief 
to  collect  the  taxes  of  their  troublesome  village. 

Bolenge's  intrepid  evangelists  entered  that  wild 
village  to  preach,  and  Lokange  became  one  of  the  most 
violent  of  their  persecutors.  He  saw  that  the  gospel 
meant  war  upon  their  old  customs  and  bloody  life. 
He  did  not  mean  to  give  them  up,  and  so  fought  in 
every   way   possible   the   message   and   its   messengers. 

143 


144  Bolenge 

Pailing  to  drive  them  out  by  cursing  and  reviling, 
he  persecuted  in  various  ways,  but  could  make  no 
impression  on  them.  Finally  he  came  up  one  day 
when  they  were  preaching,  and  defied  them,  challeng- 
ing their  message.  "It 's  a  lie.  There  is  no  God 
who  loves  us.  There  is  no  Father  such  as  you  tell 
about.  There  is  no  Savior  who  died  for  us.  It 's 
a  lie.  And  you  are  hypocrites ;  you  have  n't  given  up 
the  old  life,  nor  your  wives,  nor  your  gambling  or 
cursing  or  lying.  I  am  going  down  to  Bolenge  and 
find  out  about  it;  and  when  I  do,  I  will  come  back 
and  we  will  drive  you  out  of  our  village."  He  came  the 
whole  distance  from  Bonsole,  fifty  miles,  to  Bolenge 
to  expose  the  native  church  and  find  out  the  hypocrisy 
of  these  teachers.  He  found  the  little  native  church  a 
remarkably  transformed  people,  sitting  peaceably  by 
their  firesides,  earning  their  own  living,  and  cleaned  up 
from  the  filth  of  the  old  life.  He  found  them  trying 
to  be  kind  to  one  another  and  to  love  their  single  wives 
and  be  true  to  each  other.  He  tried  men  and  women 
with  the  caU  to  the  old  life,  and  they  would  not  answer 
any  of  the  temptations  which  would  have  been  their 
pleasure  to  have  jdelded  to  before.  Finally  he  came  to 
the  mission  and  said  to  the  missionary,  '^Tell  me  all 
about  it,  teacher.  Make  it  very  plain  to  me,  for  I  am  a 
very  old  man."  So  we  had  the  joy  of  making  it  plain 
to  even  the  wicked  old  Lokange.  He  went  back  home 
to  his  people  and  drummed  the  whole  village  together. 
"Come  and  hear  what  Lokange  has  to  say,"  he  called 
on  the  great  hollow  log  war-drum  (after  their  own 
system  of  telegraphy).  They  always  had  to  listen  to 
Lokange  in  the  old  day,  and  they  came  together  and 


Lokange,  the  Tax  Gatherer  145 

listened  as  he  told  them  the  story  of  redeeming  love. 
"You  know  me,  do  n't  you  ?"  he  shouted.  Surely,  they 
knew  Lokange.  "You  know  why  I  went  up  to  Bolenge, 
don't  you?"  Yes,  they  knew  that,  too.  "Well,"  he 
declared,  "it 's  true.  That  religion  is  true !"  And  so 
they  sat  and  marveled  at  the  old  man's  story  of  won- 
drous grace.  When  he  had  finished  his  message,  he 
turned  to  them  and  declared  that  he  freed  all  of  his 
slaves.  "You  are  free.  Just  as  free  as  I  am."  Then 
to  his  harem  of  wives  and  concubines  he  turned  with 
the  startling  words:  "And  you  are  not  my  wives  any 
more.  I  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  you.  I 
will  not  ask  your  fathers  or  former  masters  for  my 
money  back.  You  are  free.  Any  of  you  who  want  to 
go  with  me  into  this  new  life  may  come."  The  younger 
ones  said:  "Not  us.  We  will  not  go  with  a  man  who 
has  but  one  wife."  But  old  Ifonda  said,  "Lokange,  we 
have  lived  together  all  these  years;  I  will  go  with  you 
and  learn,  too,  this  way  you  are  following."  His  friends 
reviled  him:  "Look  at  Lokange;  he  is  nearing  the 
grave ;  he  takes  an  old  woman.  Lokange  is  dead."  Yes, 
he  was  dead  to  the  old  life  that  had  been  his  so  long. 
He  was  a  man  fully  sixty  years  old.  Such  is  the  mar- 
velous power  of  the  gospel.  The  young  church  viewed 
his  conversion  as  a  very  "miracle." 

Over  the  river  from  Bolenge  lies  several  fishing 
villages.  At  one  of  them,  when  the  native  evangelists 
preached  their  message  and  started  on  to  the  next,  the 
people  gathered  on  the  bank  and  challenged  them:  "If 
you  dare  to  pass  us  by,  we  will  tell  that  God  you  preach 
about  on  you.  Are  we  not  people?  Why  do  you  pass 
us  by?"  The  native  evangelists  had  sent  back  this 
10 


146  Bolenge 

startling  message  to  the  little  native  church,  and  they 
sent  an  evangelist  to  answer  this  challenge.  Who  better 
than  old  Lokange  could  have  been  chosen?  He  went 
and  he  preached.  The  strong,  powerful  chief  soon  saw 
that  he  had  invited  the  destruction  of  his  old  life  and 
power,  and  so  he  began  a  very  virulent  persecution. 
Finally,  one  day  as  Lokange  was  preaching,  he  came  up, 
armed  with  his  fearful  execution  knife  and  his  bloody 
spear,  and  dared  the  old  evangelist  to  bring  out  his 
God.  "Where  is  that  God  of  yours?  You  just  bring 
him  out  here.  I  '11  give  him  the  fight  of  his  life.  Why, 
I  will  take  my  spear  and  my  'ngwolo'  knife  and  I  '11 
show  him  what  for.  Why,  I  am  a  buffalo  hunter.  I  '11 
soon  show  that  God  what."  He  did  not  know  what 
he  was  saying.  He  was  only  a  wild,  heathen  chief. 
He  was  indeed  one  of  the  most  daring  and  successful 
buffalo  hunters,  and  was  a  man  of  undoubted  courage 
and  skill.  What  could  the  old  evangelist  do?  He  went 
to  his  house  and  prayed.  He  preached  about  the  streets 
as  usual,  but  no  one  listened.  Why,  had  not  their  chief 
challenged  this  God  of  Lokange's,  and  he  had  failed 
to  vindicate  himself?  Several  days  passed,  and  the 
chief  went  off  on  one  of  his  periodical  buffalo  hunts. 
Soon  the  news  was  brought  in  that  his  last  buffalo  had 
gored  him  to  death.  Immediately  the  heathen  natives 
declared,  "God  has  killed  him;  he  reviled  God."  Fear 
fell  upon  them,  and  old  Lokange  preached  on  the  same 
loving  message  of  God  as  a  Father  of  love.  They  lis- 
tened with  renewed  interest  to  it,  and,  finally,  after 
much  tears  and  painful  suffering  of  persecution,  Lo- 
kange saw  the  first  fruits  of  his  preaching,  and  alto- 
gether some  twenty-three  were  baptized  in  that  wild 
village. 


Lokange,  the  Tax  Gatherer  147 

Lokange  came  back  again  and  again  as  usual  to 
Bolenge  to  report  his  work.  After  one  of  these  visits, 
his  serious  illness  was  reported.  When  he  was  taken 
sick  with  pneumonia,  the  little  band  of  believers  in 
that  far  village  to  which  he  had  gone  telling  the  story 
of  God's  love,  said,  "Let  us  put  you  in  a  canoe  and 
take  you  right  back  to  Bolenge,  where  the  doctor  can 
cure  you."  "0,  no !"  said  Lokange,  "I  must  stay  and 
preach  some  more."  So,  day  after  day  they  brought 
him  out  of  the  house  at  sunset  and  sunrise,  while  he 
told  again  the  story  he  loved  so  well,  till  finally  he 
became  too  weak  to  speak  out  again.  So  they  placed 
him,  fainting,  in  a  canoe  and  started  to  Bolenge,  forty 
miles  away.  They  arrived  at  the  beach  and  tenderly 
picked  the  little  old  man  up  and  carried  him  up  the 
hill  to  the  hospital.  We  worked  over  him  for  some 
time,  and  then  had  to  tell  him  it  was  too  late.  "0, 
then,"  he  said,  "call  together  my  brethren."  And  so 
the  little  church  gathered  about  his  bedside,  and  he 
bade  them  good-bye.  "Do  not  look  back  on  the  old  life, 
brethren.  Do  n't  let  those  filthy  rags  allure  you  again. 
Be  faithful  to  the  end,  and  we  will  meet  over  there," 
he  stammered  between  fainting  and  painful  breaths.  "I 
am  very  happy,  for  I  am  going  home."  Ah,  he  was 
happy!  Could  you  have  seen  the  wonderfully  sweet 
smile  that  lit  up  his  old,  seamed,  and  haggard  face,  as 
he  slipped  away  to  the  glory  land,  you  would  have 
thought  it  worth  while,  too. 

Old  Lokange  was  baptized  November,  1903,  just 
one  year  after  the  organization  of  the  church,  and  died 
July  29,  1905.  His  was  an  entire  change  of  heart. 
Instead  of  being  hard  and  grasping  as  heretofore,  he 


148  Bolenge 

became  most  thoughtful  and  sympathetic.  He  was  the 
first  to  offer  help  in  every  time  of  need,  and  often  toiled 
all  night  on  the  river  that  he  might  bring  an  offering  of 
fresh  fish  to  the  sick  missionary. 

In  the  month  of  March  of  the  year  he  died,  at  a 
business  meeting  of  the  church,  Lokange  arose  and 
said:  "Brethren,  I  have  something  to  tell  you.  You 
know  my  little  daughter,  Nsombe.  You  remember  that 
when  we  came  here  she  would  curse  every  one,  even 
her  own  mother.  Now  she  has  learned  better  things, 
and  I  never  want  her  to  return  to  heathenism  and  the 
ways  of  the  past.  When  I  became  a  Christian  I  paid 
all  my  debts,  so  that  no  one  might  ever  have  a  claim 
on  her.  Therefore,  it  is  my  desire,  if  I  should  die, 
that  she  go  to  the  mission  to  be  under  the  care  of  the 
missionaries,  whoever  may  be  here."  Little  did  any  one 
realize  how  soon  they  would  have  cause  to  remember 
those  words. 

After  his  death  his  heathen  relatives  did  try  to 
keep  Nsombe,  but  as  they  had  no  claim  on  her,  the 
church  and  the  missionaries  were  true  to  this  trust. 
Nsombe  was  for  a  long  time  the  baby  of  the  mission,  and 
a  dear  little  child  she  was,  being  then  about  four  years 
old.  She  is  a  quiet,  quaint  little  old-fashioned  girl,  and 
wanted  to  try  to  learn  everything  the  older  girls  knew. 
When  she  was  with  us  a  year  she  was  useful  in  many 
ways  and  had  learned  to  sew  quite  well.  Nsombe  is 
not  the  baby  now,  but  quite  a  little  woman,  and  beloved 
of  all.  We  hope  so  to  train  and  mold  her  young  life 
that  she  may  take  up  the  work  laid  down  by  her  sainted 
father,  who  loved  her  as  do  few  fathers  in  Congoland. 


CHAPTEE   XVII 
A  Wonderful  Christmas 

Christmas  is  essentially  a  Christian  holiday.  By 
the  widening  of  its  usage,  the  real  meaning  and  sig- 
nificance of  the  day  has  been  lost.  It  seemed  desirable 
to  restore  the  beautiful  symbolism  of  the  day,  in  bring- 
ing it  to  the  new  Church.  All  that  has  become  asso- 
ciated with  that  day  through  superstitious  fancy  and 
nationalistic  customs  was  dropped.  It  was  given  to 
the  Bolenge  church  in  a  double  light  of  a  holy  com- 
memoration and  a  joyful  festival. 

It  being  the  day  commemorating  the  birth  of  the 
Christ-child,  it  was  suggested  that  it  would  be  more 
in  keeping  with  the  day  to  bring  a  gift  to  the  Clirist 
than  to  exchange  gifts  with  each  other,  as  they  had 
seen  Europeans  do.  This  idea  was  accepted  gladly,  and 
for  weeks  before  Christmas  the  people  prepared  for  that 
part  of  the  celebration. 

At  first  all  the  attention  of  the  gathering  hosts  was 
given  to  the  new  Tabernacle.  It  was  high  and  broad 
with  a  palm  thatch  roof.  There  were  no  walls,  though 
the  roof  extended  over  so  far  that  there  was  ample 
protection  from  both  sun  and  storm.  A  few  days 
before  Christmas  the  addition  of  platform  and  benches 
gave  the  finishing  touches.     None  of  those  who  came 

149 


150  Bolenge 

had  ever  seen  or  dreamed  of  the  like  before.  Its  size 
amazed  them,  and  they  asked  if  there  was  anything 
larger  in  Europe.  They  saw  nothing  of  the  beautiful 
surroundings,  the  building  itself  filling  their  whole 
vision.  To  us  one  of  its  greatest  beauties  was  the  situa- 
tion, so  suitable  in  every  way.  A  large  grassy  plot  of 
ground,  a  plantain  and  banana  grove  stretching  across 
one  side,  their  mammoth  leaves  giving  protection  from 
the  sun.  At  the  rear  is  the  arching  pathway  of  beau- 
tiful young  palms,  which  borders  the  station  round. 
Scattered  here  and  there,  the  stately  old  palms,  with 
their  unique  natural  decorations  of  many  varieties  of 
ferns  and  orchids,  growing  upon  the  palm  itself,  lend 
grace  and  charm  to  the  scene.  The  approach  to  the 
church  is  beneath  the  overhanging  boughs  of  the  orange 
grove,  whose  rich  blossoms  fill  the  whole  air  with  their 
fragrance.  The  native  does  not  appreciate  beauty  in 
nature,  and  is  consequently  slow  in  learning  its  lan- 
guage. They  understood  the  beauty  of  the  tabernacle, 
however,  and  no  imposing  structure  of  stone  with 
steeples  or  domes  could  ever  be  so  beautiful  as  this 
rude  building  of  poles  and  thatch,  with  nature's  own 
carpet,  and  rough  slat  seats. 

The  Lord's  Day  before  Christmas  the  Tabernacle 
was  dedicated  to  God.  It  was  a  glorious  sight  to  look 
upon  that  great  assembly,  and  to  watch  their  faces  as 
they  listened  to  the  new-old  story  of  the  Christ.  It 
was  the  largest  audience  ever  seen  in  Bolenge,  and  not 
one  lukewarm,  indifferent  church-goer  in  it.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  little,  disinterested  gathering  of  a  few 
years  previous!  Then,  the  few  who  did  come,  came 
to   show  their  respect  to  the  white  man,   and   slept 


A  Wonderful  Christmas  151 

soundly  throughout  the  service;  or  else  they  came  be- 
cause they  felt  compelled  to  come  as  workmen  of  the 
white  man.  No  woman  in  this  great  audience  was  be- 
decked in  red  complexion  powder  and  not  a  babe  is 
disturbed  in  its  peaceful  slumber  by  the  removing  of 
eyelashes.  Could  a  greater  change  be  imagined?  Five 
hundred  people  gathered  with  one  accord  to  com- 
memorate the  birth  of  their  newly-found  Savior! 
Young  men,  young  women,  men  and  wives  with  their 
children,  old  gray-haired  grandmothers  and  grand- 
fathers, all  there,  clean,  quiet,  and  attentive  to  every 
word  of  the  blessed  message.  Changed  by  the  power 
of  God  from  rawest  heathenism,  fiercest  cannibalism, 
and  unspeakable  immorality,  to  these  peaceful,  law- 
abiding,  upright  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on 
earth. 

At  the  close  of  that  memorable  service  thirty  people 
confessed  faith  in  their  Savior  for  the  first  time.  Never 
had  such  an  impressive  sight  been  witnessed.  Among 
the  number  there  were  six  very  old  women  who  had 
been  the  very  bulwark  of  the  old  superstitions.  Two 
of  these  were  great-grandmothers,  one  being  almost 
blind.  As  they  made  their  confession  of  faith  in 
Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  and  their  Savior  their  voices 
rang  through  the  auditorium,  and  measures  of  applause 
followed.    These  were  as  sheaves  ripe  unto  harvest. 

The  "same  hour"  these  thirty  were  baptized  in  the 
river,  the  vast  concourse  of  people  witnessing  the  im- 
pressive scene  from  the  hillside.  Buried,  buried  with 
Christ,  arising  to  walk  in  newness  of  life — what  a  load 
of  sin,  too  black  and  horrible  for  contemplation,  is  buried 
with  some  of  them  in  the  deep,  dark  waters  of  the 


152  Bolenge 

mighty  Congo!  What  a  depth  of  meaning  for  them 
in  the  new  life  into  which  they  have  entered ! 

That  afternoon  the  Bible-school  had  its  largest  at- 
tendance to  date,  four  hundred  and  seventy-three  being 
present.  The  year's  lessons  on  the  Life  of  Christ  had 
led  up  to  His  death  and  resurrection.  Thus  the  vis- 
iting peoples,  as  well  as  the  resident  members,  heard 
that  day  of  the  greatest  events  in  the  life  of  the  Son  of 
man.  They  also  saw  them  in  the  symbol  in  the  bap- 
tismal waters,  and  in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  This  latter  was  observed  after  the  Sunday- 
school,  that  all  might  be  present.  The  entire  assembly 
remained  and  maintained  throughout,  a  most  reveren- 
tial silence.  Thus  closed  one  of  the  history-making  days 
in  the  Congo  Mission. 

All  day  Monday  the  Christian  women  and  mission 
girls  were  cooking  and  preparing  for  the  great  feast  on 
the  morrow,  Christmas  day.  At  daybreak  a  devotional 
service  was  held,  which  brought  all  into  the  spirit  of 
the  day.  The  forenoon  was  consumed  in  arranging  for 
the  great  feast  of  the  church.  Huge  tubs  of  antelope, 
and  smoked  fish  cooked  in  palm  oil,  were  deliciously  in- 
viting, as  were  all  of  the  other  native  dishes,  which  were 
crowded  on  the  platform  of  the  Tabernacle.  About 
four  hundred  people  were  seated  to  partake  of  them; 
the  Christians,  their  children,  the  mission  orphans, 
and  the  "strangers  within  their  gates."  A  goodly  sup- 
ply was  left,  which  was  sent  to  the  aged  and  sick  in  the 
village,  making  many  a  one  happier  than  he  had 
been  for  years.  One  of  the  unique  features  of  this 
feast  was  the  men  eating  with  their  wives,  which  is 
contrary  to  heathen  custom,  where  men  eat  first,  and 


tr 


O 


td 


A  Wonderful  Christmas  153 

women  and  children  partake  of  the  leavings.  Chris- 
tianity here,  as  everywhere,  is  gradually  raising  women 
to  a  higher  place;  and  surely  nowhere  does  she  so 
need  it. 

At  five  o'clock  all  the  Christians  gathered  for  their 
special  service,  and  none  were  absent,  pleading  poverty 
as  an  excuse.  Each  one  present,  as  his  name  was  called, 
went  forward,  and,  having  presented  himself  anew  to 
the  service  of  the  Master,  then  presented  his  offering. 
All  are  poor,  so  those  who  had  no  money  to  offer  brought 
one  of  their  few  possessions  which  might  be  sold.  Out 
of  their  great  poverty  their  offering  amounted  to  four 
thousand  brass  rods,  as  a  thank  offering  for  the  won- 
drous gift  of  salvation  brought  to  them  by  the  Christ- 
child.  What  more  blessed  commemoration  of  a  holy 
day  could  possibly  be  imagined? 

At  seven  o'clock  an  evangelistic  service  was  held, 
led  by  four  deacons,  each  giving  an  account  of  some 
event  connected  with  the  birth  of  Christ.  Surely  there 
was  feasting  for  both  soul  and  body  that  day,  and  who 
can  measure  the  influence,  as  the  visiting  strangers  re- 
turned to  their  homes,  spreading  the  good  news  every- 
where ? 

This  was  followed  immediately  by  a  week  of  prayer, 
three  services  being  held  daily,  one  for  Christians  with 
the  purpose  of  deepening  and  strengthening  their  spir- 
itual life;  the  other  two  being  purely  evangelistic. 
This  was  concluded  by  a  watch-night  service,  which  was 
a  great  uplift  to  the  young  Christians  especially,  and  a 
means  of  strength  to  all. 

These  unique  Christmas  services  have  been  con- 
tinued, and  every  successive  year  has  witnessed  a  sur- 


154  Bolenge 

prising  increase  in  the  attendance,  and  also  an  increase 
in  the  glad  offering  to  the  Babe  cradled  in  a  manger 
long  ago.  Like  the  Magi  of  old,  they  bring  their  gifts 
to  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  Christ,  and  though  they  be  not 
gold,  frankincense,  or  myrrh,  but  brass  rods,  mats, 
plates,  cloth,  chickens,  dried  fish,  belts,  knives,  spoons, 
and  garden  truck,  yet  is  their  offering  greater  in  His 
sight.  Everything  accruing  from  the  sale  of  these  gifts 
is  used  in  spreading  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Christmas 
story  everywhere.  They  give  according  to  the  measure 
of  their  love,  and,  like  the  widow  who  cast  her  mite  into 
the  treasury,  these  who  give  out  of  their  penury  are 
more  blessed  than  those  in  more  favored  lands  who  "^ 
their  abundance  cast  in  unto  the  offering  of  God." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 
An  Apostolic  Church 

The  Congo  is  a  country  where  animal,  vegetable, 
and  insect  life  grows  rank  and  wild;  and  where  the 
heathen  in  his  native  state  is  as  rank  and  wild  as  his 
surroundings.  It  is  one  of  God's  strange  paradoxes 
that  Christianity  when  once  implanted  here  grows  also 
with  rapidity,  and  its  depth  and  strength  is  not  im- 
paired by  its  rapidity   of  growth. 

The  little  church  organized  with  less  than  twenty 
members  in  1902,  has  already,  in  less  than  seven  years, 
reached  seven  hundred.  Other  congregations  are  being 
formed  which  will  increase  the  ratio  of  growth.  The 
aim,  however,  has  never  been  for  numerical  strength, 
but  rather  for  stability,  else  might  the  church  have 
passed  its  thousand  mark  long  ago.  Here,  as  every- 
where, the  primitive  gospel  is  sure  to  make  progress. 

The  church  in  its  workings  is  essentially  apostolic, 
especially  in  its  observance  of  the  ordinances  and  in  the 
grace  of  giving.  The  poorest  churches  are  frequently 
the  richest  in  faith  and  consecration.  Certainly  few 
are  poorer  in  this  world's  goods  than  these  Congo  na- 
tives when  they  become  Christians.  As  has  been  seen, 
in  becoming  Christians  these  people  give  up  all  claim 
to  their  heathen  inheritance  of  slaves  and  plural  wives, 
in  which  their  entire  wealth  consists.     The  church  is 

155 


Year 

Members 

Oont 

1903 

48 

5,035 

1904 

77 

17,431 

1905 

92 

29,700 

1906 

125 

35,000 

1907 

301 

50,000 

1908 

451 

60,000 

156  Bolenge 

thoroughly  evangelistic  and  entirely  self-supporting. 
Their  giving  is  remarkable  considering  their  wages. 
The  average  salary  of  a  man  is  ten  brass  rods  a  day. 
At  first  many  members  of  the  church  received  but 
twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  a  month,  besides  their 
board.  From  the  first  all  became  tithers,  and  the  fol- 
lowing table  will  give  an  idea  of  the  steady  growth  of 
the  church,  both  in  membership  and  benevolence: 

Evangelists  supported 
bj  tae  native  ohuroh 

6 

8 

10 

13 

S5 
52 

One  of  these  eleven-inch  bits  of  brass  wire  costs 
about  one  cent,  but  more  than  equals  ten  times  that 
amount  when  compared  with  values  in  America.  Their 
tithes  are  all  brought  and  entered  in  a  book  by  the 
missionary,  no  one  else  ever  knowing  the  amount  of 
their  gifts.  The  total  amount  is  reported  weekly  at 
the  regular  Saturday  night  business  meeting  of  the 
church. 

In  1906  the  home  churches  began  to  keep  an  eye 
on  Bolenge,  and  some  one  writing  at  that  time  called 
it  "Our  Banner  Church."  He  said:  "If  all  our 
churches  in  this  country  had  as  high  an  evangelistic 
standard  as  the  brethren  at  Bolenge,  and  each  nine 
members  support  a  tenth  as  an  evangelist,  while  the 
latter  gave  himself  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  we 
would  have  an  army  of  125,000  preaching  the  gospel, 
and  we  could  compass  the  evangelization  of  the  world 


An  Apostolic  Church  157 

in  a  decade."     They  are  apostles  set  on  fire  by  their 
message,  and  they  in  turn  set  Congo  on  fire. 

Every  two  months  these  evangelists  return  from  their 
long  itinerations,  bringing  with  them  many  of  the  peo- 
ple among  whom  they  have  been  preaching.  These 
come  to  verify  the  words  of  the  native  teacher  by  the 
mouth  of  the  white  teacher  himself.  The  teaching  they 
have  heard  seems  too  good  to  be  true,  but  a  week  or 
so  at  Bolenge  always  satisfies  them  as  to  its  truth. 

Once  when  the  evangelists  returned  from  their  July 
trip  the  church  treasury  was  nearly  empty,  and  funds 
were  needed  to  send  them  out  again.     A  special  meet- 
ing was  called,  and  the  matter  was  placed  before  the 
church  and  a  special  thank  ofiering  asked  for.     The 
response  would  have  put  any  home  church  to  shame. 
Eemember  that  these  were  already  tithers,  so  the  extra 
offering  must  come  from  a  consecrated  purse,  which 
with  them  is  a  secret  hiding-place  in  the  garden.    There 
was  no  house-to-house  visitation,  nor  appointment  of  a 
finance  committee,  nor  passing  of  subscription  blanks, 
but  before  the  week  had  passed  four  thousand  rods  had 
been  contributed  voluntarily.     Men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren came  at  any  time  of  day  or  night  bringing  their 
offerings.     One  of  the  mission  sawyers  drew  and  gave 
a  tenth  of  his  whole  year's  salary  as  his  share.     Some 
little  boys  each  gave  a  sixth  of  their  small  wages ;  and 
one  young  man  gave  one-half  of  his  hard-earned  year's 
pay.    Nkoi,  who  formerly  supported  his  own  evangelist 
as  a  living-link,  had  gone  himself  to  preach,  together 
with  his  wife.    They  received  for  one  trip  six  hundred 
brass  rods,  and  on  their  return  they  gave  four  hundred 
back  into  the  church  treasury.     Then,  in  addition  to 


158  Bolenge 

this,  they  gave  five  hundred  rods  as  a  thank  offering. 
Several  old  widows,  out  of  their  extreme  poverty,  gave 
a  real  Scriptural  mite,  bringing  baskets  of  provisions 
from  their  garden,  which  represented  their  whole  living. 
Some  of  the  orphanage  girls  gave  liberally  from  their 
small  earnings  received  for  well  done  work.  Joseph, 
the  cripple,  gave  two  of  his  cherished  fowls. 

At  another  time  the  treasury  was  low,  and  either  the 
number  of  evangelists  had  to  be  reduced  or  some  other 
provision  made.  A  special  meeting  was  again  called,  for 
it  was  not  the  missionaries'  business,  but  the  business  of 
the  church.  As  before,  the  whole  situation  was  placed 
before  them.  Their  consecration  exceeded  all  expecta- 
tions. When  told  that  the  number  must  be  cut  down, 
one  arose  and  said :  "White  teacher,  we  can  not  do  that, 
we  have  promised  to  send  teachers  and  the  people  expect 
them.  They  would  not  understand  the  reason,  and  we 
must  not  refuse  to  send  them  or  God  will  hold  us  re- 
sponsible." He  then  said  that  he  would  go  on  a  salary 
one-third  less,  and  let  the  remainder  go  toward  another. 
One  after  another  these  native  preachers  arose  to  their 
feet,  gladly  offering  to  do  the  same.  The  resident  mem- 
bers then  volunteered  another  thank  offering,  so  that 
the  following  week  not  less  but  more  evangelists  were 
sent,  some  going  to  answer  fresh  calls  from  other  towns. 

Besides  these  regularly  appointed  evangelists,  every 
member  of  the  church  is  an  evangelist.  Wherever  they 
go  they  make  it  their  business  to  preach  the  wonderful 
gospel  message  that  means  life  to  them.  But  besides 
this,  as  a  measure  of  their  love  and  joy,  they  give  toward 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  among  the  great  unevangel- 
ized  tribes  in  the  inland  regions,  where  all  can  not  go. 


to 


An  Apostolic  Church  159 

This  church  is  not  characterized  as  apostolic  for 
giving  alone,  but  because  of  its  doctrine  and  ordinances 
as  well.  They  preach  the  "Word"  and  that  only,  and 
"Christ  and  Him  crucified"  is  their  only  theology. 
They  are  taught  that  baptism  is  for  those  old  enough 
to  be  intelligent  believers.  Some  of  the  most  beautiful 
scenes  we  have  ever  witnessed  have  been  the  symbolic 
burial  of  such  (often  many  in  one  day)  beneath  the 
waters  of  the  Congo.  These  have  indeed  risen  from  the 
waters  of  baptism  to  walk  in  newness  of  life.  At  one 
time  sixty-four  were  baptized,  and  that  scene  is  indel- 
ibly stamped  on  the  memory  of  all  who  witnessed  it. 

As  in  the  New  Testament  Church,  the  Bolenge 
church  meets  together  every  Lord's  Day  to  break  bread ; 
and  this  is  to  each  and  all  a  sacred  feast.  By  it  they 
themselves  testify  to  being  kept  from  sin  and  tempta- 
tion through  the  week.  They  say  that  the  thought  of 
meeting  at  the  Lord's  table  comes  ever  before  them  in 
times  of  sudden  temptation,  and  keeps  them  from  fall- 
ing. Often  the  non-resident  members  will  come  long 
journeys  by  land  and  by  canoe  to  be  present  at  this 
communion  service.  It  is  to  them  the  inner  sanctuary 
where  He  comes  to  meet  them.  Many  times  they  must 
return  to  their  homes  as  soon  as  the  service  is  over, 
but  they  feel  repaid,  as  indeed  they  are.  After  the 
communion  service  every  Lord's  Day  morning,  baskets 
are  passed  and  a  free-will  offering  received,  which  again 
is  over  and  above  the  regular  tithe.  ISTo  offerings  are 
taken  at  regular  evangelistic  services,  so  the  church  is 
almost  entirely  supported  by  the  offerings  of  Chris- 
tians only.  Occasionally  those  desiring  to  be  taught 
more  perfectly  the  way  of  life  ask  for  the  privilege  of 


160  Bolenge 

making  systematic  contributions,  which,  of  course,  they 
are  permitted  to  do. 

These  Christians  are  all  total  abstainers  from  to- 
bacco, hemp,  liquor  of  all  kinds,  and  every  other  heathen 
habit.  They  say  they  do  n't  want  even  the  smell  of 
old  life  left  upon  them.  Any  one  not  conforming  to 
the  confession  he  or  she  has  made  before  many  wit- 
nesses is  disciplined.  No  difference  is  made  for  rich 
or  poor — all  observe  the  same  rules  of  discipline.  If 
the  ofEense  is  slight  they  are  denied  the  privilege  of 
the  Lord's  table,  and  nothing  causes  them  deeper  sor- 
row. This  is  sure  to  bring  true  repentance  and  a  speedy 
return  to  the  straight  and  narrow  way  which  leads  to 
life.  No  sin  or  tendencies  to  even  the  appearances  of 
sin  are  passed  over  or  winked  at  either  by  the  church  or 
the  missionary.  Thus  the  membership  is  always  made 
up  of  living,  active  members,  all  others  being  dropped 
from  the  regular  list  after  many  repeated  warnings  and 
much  teaching. 

Thus  this  church  strives  to  conform  to  the  ideal 
pattern.  It  has  not  yet  attained,  but  "forgetting  those 
things  which  are  behind  and  stretching  forward  to  the 
things  that  are  before,"  it  is  pressing  onward  toward 
the  goal. 


CHAPTEE   XIX 
Sunshine  and  Showers 

The  great  difRculty  which  confronts  the  missionary 
in  going  to  Congo,  and  that  which  is  an  ever-present 
menace  to  him  there,  is  the  climate.  Being  situated 
directly  on  the  equator,  as  Bolenge  is,  there  are  not 
the  long  wet  and  long  dry  seasons  common  above  or 
below  the  equator.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  really 
four  seasons,  these  being  the  shadings  of  the  two  above 
and  the  two  below  the  equator.  Eecognized  by  the 
native  himself  are  the  long  and  short  rainy  seasons, 
and  the  long  and  short  dry  seasons.  The  long  rainy 
season  begins  the  last  of  August  and  extends  to  the 
first  of  December,  while  the  sun  is  taking  its  course 
from  the  equator  to  the  southern  solstice.  The  long 
dry  season  begins  in  May  and  continues  until  the  be- 
ginning of  the  long  rainy  season  in  August.  The  wet 
seasons  are  the  most  disagreeable,  for  the  rains  come 
down  in  torrents  by  night  or  by  day.  Terrific  wind 
storms,  hurricanes,  and  tornadoes  become  frequent.  The 
thunder  and  lightning  are  unsurpassed  elsewhere,  the 
lightning  coming  in  wonderful  shoots  of  light  painful 
to  the  eyes.  Between  the  storms  the  atmosphere  is 
almost  unbearably  sultry  and  humid.  The  sun  tries  to 
outdo  itself.  One  perspires  profusely  with  no  exer- 
tion, and  when  at  work  the  clothing  becomes  as  wet 
11  161 


162  Bolenge 

as  though  immersed  in  water.  Frequent  changes  of 
clothing  are  necessary.  This  is  the  only  time  during 
the  year,  however,  when  the  nights  are  uncomfortably 
warm,  and  then  but  seldom,  for  tornadoes  come  to  cool 
the  air. 

Every  one  rejoices  when  the  rains  are  over  for  even 
a  short  time,  but  gladly  welcomes  them  again  after  the 
dry  season.  The  long  dry  season  which  precedes  the 
long  wet  is  not  hot,  as  might  be  imagined, .  but  to  the 
European  is  the  most  healthful  season  of  all.  The 
sun  is  under  a  cloud  nearly  all  the  time,  and  every 
morning  the  sky  is  overcast  and  threatening  as  though 
a  storm  were  imminent.  However,  by  noon  the  sky  is 
clear,  but  the  atmosphere  remains  cool.  This  is  the 
time  when  the  missionary's  flagging  energy  is  revived 
for  a  time,  and  he  feels  a  returning  ambition  to  work. 
The  native,  however,  suffers  most  in  this  season  be- 
cause of  the  cold,  which  in  his  unprotected  state  is 
quite  severe.  Pneumonia  and  kindred  ills  are  the  re- 
sult, and  the  epidemics  of  influenza  spread  so  that  the 
medical  missionary  gets  but  little  rest.  A  cool  breeze 
sweeps  across  the  river  almost  all  the  time,  and  to  us 
is  very  refreshing. 

Although  there  are  these  distinct  seasons,  yet  being 
on  the  equator,  it  frequently  rains  in  the  dry  seasons 
and  is  often  dry  during  the  rainy  season.  The  climate 
is  more  bearable  on  this  account,  and  a  garden  of  Eu- 
ropean vegetables  can  be  grown  the  year  around.  The 
earth  being  much  nearer  the  sun,  the  vertical  rays  have 
an  intensity  not  equaled  elsewhere.  On  this  account 
the  indispensable  pith  helmet  is  worn  on  the  head, 
which  is  common  in   all  tropics,  but  here   an  abso- 


Sunshine  and  Showers  163 

lute  necessity.  Great  care  must  be  taken  never  to  be 
exposed  to  the  sun  without  this  protection.  A  few 
moments  bareheaded  there  would  surely  be  followed 
by  sunstroke.  Missionaries  who  are  extremely  careful 
in  this  regard  have  been  known  to  have  been  taken 
down  with  fever,  and  have  died  in  a  few  days  from  the 
thoughtless  exposure  of  the  bare  head  to  the  sun. 

The  average  temperature  is  not  as  high  as  might  be 
imagined,  though  when  that  ball  of  fire  sends  down  its 
most  piercing  rays  no  ordinary  house  thermometer 
will  register  the  temperature.  A  young  missionary 
coming  out  and  stopping  at  Bolenge  thought  there  would 
be  the  place  to  test  a  fine  new  thermometer.  Accord- 
ingly he  unpacked  it,  and  while  it  registered  but  90"* 
in  the  house,  when  it  was  placed  on  the  steps  in  the 
sun  it  went  up  never  to  come  down  again.  His  was 
not  the  only  one  spoiled  in  such  experiments. 

Bolenge  is,  compared  with  many  others,  a  very 
healthful  place,  but,  after  all,  it  is  no  sanitarium.  Such 
a  climate  is  trying  to  any  European,  and  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  acclimatization,  and  never  can  be.  The 
only  thing  which  might  be  sa  called  is  the  precaution 
he  learns  to  take.  The  missionary  societies  at  work  in 
this  part  of  Africa  have  found  it  absolutely  necessary 
to  bring  the  missionaries  home  for  furlough  and  re- 
cuperation at  least  every  three  years.  One  is  always 
facing  imminent  death  and  disease,  and  learns  to  take 
so  many  precautions  to  avoid  these  that  he  does  it  un- 
consciously. Even  after  being  long  removed  from  the 
Congo  he  still  finds  himself  occasionally  observing  the 
rules  of  that  region. 

Much  of  the  insalubrity  of  the  climate  is  caused  by 


164  Bolenge 

malaria.  Owing  to  this  being  the  great  swamp  district, 
the  dread  mosquito  finds  here  a  happy  habitation.  When 
the  great  river  is  high  much  of  the  swamp  country  is 
more  like  a  great  sea,  with  islands  appearing  on  its 
surface.  When  the  river  subsides  the  swamps  are  reek- 
ing with  mosquito  larvae,  and  soon  life  is  made  miser- 
able by  them.  That  malaria  is  caused  by  mosquitoes, 
or  by  a  certain  species  of  mosquito,  the  Anopheles,  is 
no  longer  questioned.  Scientific  investigations  have 
proved  this  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  None  could 
be  more  strongly  convinced  of  this  than  we  who  live 
in  this  particular  portion  of  Africa.  Another  menace 
to  health  has  appeared  during  the  history  of  our  own 
mission.  This  is  sleeping-sickness.  To  these  might  be 
added  dysentery,  pneumonia,  smallpox,  enlarged  liver 
and  spleen,  boils,  abscesses,  and  many  varieties  of  itch. 
The  first  and  last  thing  one  hears  going  to  and  coming 
from  Africa  is  death,  until  it  fills  one's  imagination 
like  some  horrible  tragedy.  But  how  different  is  the 
reality !  Sickness  comes,  to  be  sure ;  but  so  it  does  in 
America  or  any  other  part  of  the  world.  As  soon  as 
the  customary  habits  of  precaution  have  been  formed, 
the  mind  no  longer  dwells  on  death,  but  on  life — abim- 
dant,  useful,  satisfying  life.  Once  entered  into  with 
the  whole  heart,  the  missionary  would  not  voluntarily 
exchange  it  for  the  most  salubrious  climate  in  America, 
nor  his  vocation  for  the  most  lucrative  profession  in 
all  the  world. 

To  be  sure,  he  must  always  wear  a  helmet,  whether 
becoming  to  his  style  of  face  or  not.  He  must  remem- 
ber to  keep  out  of  draughts  if  perspiring  freely,  and 
often  change  his  clothiag.     He  must  be  wary  of  the 


A  stalwart  messenger  who  was  sent  a  long  distance  to 
Bolenge  to  ask  for  teachers  and  preachers.  He  represented 
a  fierce  cannibal  tribe.  His  people  had  heard  the  message 
from  a  native  evangelist.  He  said,  "We  will  tell  God  on  you 
at  the  judgment  day  if  you  do  not  send  us  teachers." 


Sunshine  and  Showers  165 

languor  and  painful  weariness  creeping  over  him,  and 
hunt  his  quinine,  or  take  a  day  in  bed,  if  necessary,  to 
avoid  fever.  He  must  never  work  to  the  limit  of  his 
strength,  but  conserve  his  strength  in  every  way  pos- 
sible. He  must  learn  to  be  phlegmatic,  and  not  let 
the  multitude  of  little  things  irritate  him,  though  he 
is  somewhat  of  a  saint  if  he  acquires  this  desirable 
quality.  He  must  be  content  to  give  up  and  go  home 
every  few  years  to  renew  his  blood  and  restore  his  nerv- 
ous system  for  another  term  of  service.  After  a  time 
these  careful  precautions  are  worn  as  unconsciously 
as  a  well-fitting  garment,  and  life  moves  on  as  smoothly 
as  at  home.  One  of  the  chief  necessities  for  health  in 
the  Congo  is  suitable  food,  which  can  not  be  procured 
in  the  country.  Consequently  food  supplies  are  or- 
dered from  England  and  America  all  hermetically 
sealed  in  tin.  Instead  of  the  flour  bin,  sugar  sack,  and 
butter  crock,  we  have  tinned  flour,  tinned  sugar,  and 
tinned  butter.  Everything  is  "tinned,"  instead  of 
"canned,"  in  England.  To  escape  entire  dependence 
on  these  tinned  provisions,  European  vegetables  are 
grown.  The  dampness  of  the  climate  precludes  saving 
any  seed,  however.  This  necessitates  the  constant  or- 
dering of  fresh,  specially  dried  seeds,  which  have  a  spe- 
cial price  also.  No  vegetable  which  requires  much 
time  to  mature  thrives,  for  it  rots  before  it  ripens,  but 
the  early  spring  vegetables  grow  to  perfection.  As 
many  kinds  of  fruits  as  possible  have  been  introduced. 
European  fowls  are  grown  as  well.  Goats  and  straight- 
haired  sheep  provide  milk  and  fresh  meat.  Some  of  the 
native  foodstuffs  are  also  utilized. 

In  the  early  days  there  were  weeks  when  the  cup- 


166  Bolenge 

boards  were  bare  of  even  tinned  provisions,  and  ground 
corn  formed  the  essential  diet,  sometimes  being  flavored 
with  palm  oil  or  hippopotamus  fat.  Food  had  been 
ordered,  but  in  the  meantime  the  larder  had  become 
empty  and  the  garden  was  overgrown  with  weeds  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  seeds.  This  condition  was  not  con- 
ducive to  health  and  strength,  and  one  of  our  less  ro- 
bust number  was  laid  low.  The  arrival  of  the  mission 
steamer  brought  assistance,  and  the  extremity  was  tided 
over.  This  has  never  happened  since,  and  never  will 
again,  for  that  one  experience  brought  wisdom  to  last 
through  the  years. 

One  of  the  greatest  shadows  under  which  the  mis- 
sionary works  is  the  appalling  degradation  of  heathen- 
ism which  opposes  him  on  every  side.  One  may  even 
become  calloused  and  hardened  to  it,  but  there  is  a 
danger  of  his  own  fine  sensibilities  being  dulled  thereby. 
By  day  and  by  night  it  encompasses  him,  and  he  longs 
to  hide  from  it.  But  there  is  no  spot  so  secluded  as 
to  keep  out  the  sounds  of  heathenism,  even  when  no 
longer  seen.  If  ill  and  nervous,  it  becomes  a  horrible 
nightmare  to  him.  The  only  remedy  lies  in  keeping 
busy,  every  energy  bent  on  the  relief  and  redemption 
of  the  people. 

Because  of  this  the  missionary  tries  to  make  his 
little  home  a  haven  of  cheer  and  comfort,  that  within 
its  walls  the  sights  outside  may  be  for  a  time  forgot- 
ten. Therefore  libraries  are  taken  to  serve  as  pleasant 
companions,  and  beloved  faces  greet  him  from  the 
walls.  Easy  chairs  and  inviting  seats  woo  him  to  a 
sense  of  peace  and  rest.  Then  the  infinite  blessing  of 
sleep  descends,  and  all  the  world  is  shut  out.     He 


Sunshine  and  Showers  167 

awakes  refreshed  and  reinvigorated,  and  able  to  go  on 
and  on  wondering  at  his  previous  depression.  What 
a  blessing  is  home,  sweet  home !  And  thrice  blessed 
is  that  home  in  the  midst  of  such  adverse  surround- 
ings. The  nobleman's  palace  could  not  be  compared 
with  it;  and  when  away,  the  heart  continually  longs 
to  return  to  it. 

In  health  there  is  little  time  for  loneliness,  but  in 
times  of  sickness  the  missionary  often  longs  for  his 
friends.  The  greatest  trial  of  all  is  to  receive  no  mail, 
no  news  from  those  dear  ones  left  behind.  With  what 
anticipation  the  mail  steamer  is  looked  for!  and  with 
what  mingled  feelings  of  joy  and  fear  are  the  letters 
assorted !  Those  letters  from  the  homeland  are  our  en- 
couragement and  inspiration,  and  if  there  be  none — 
what  uncertainty !  And  three  more  weeks  to  wait  for 
another  mail !  If  one  lacks,  however,  all  the  others 
share  their  news  with  him,  and  thus  come  to  be  like 
one  family  bound  by  close  ties  of  relationship. 

Many  little  diversions  are  planned  to  break  the  mo- 
notony of  every  day  and  to  shake  off  the  serious,  solemn 
moods  which  all  too  quickly  settle  down  upon  us.  Every 
holiday  is  celebrated — the  Glorious  Fourth,  Thanksgiv- 
ing, Christmas,  and  all  the  rest.  The  weather  is  ideal 
for  the  Fourth,  and  it  is  celebrated  in  various  ways: 
by  games  and  sports  for  the  natives,  or  by  an  enchant- 
ing island  picnic  for  ourselves  and  orphans.  At  this 
time  all  the  dainties  and  indigestibles  are  eaten,  care 
is  thrown  to  the  winds,  and  we  are  young  again.  How 
refreshing  is  such  a  day,  even  though  myriads  of  in- 
sects rebel  at  your  intrusion  and  the  sun  beats  down 
uncomfortably ! 


168  Bolenge 

On  Christmas,  too,  though  the  weather  be  a  trifle 
too  warm  for  snow,  old  Santa  comes  on  an  elephant, 
and  stockings — good,  big  ones — are  hung  on  a  bamboo 
rack.  Years  have  rolled  off,  and  sleep  is  wakeful. 
Then,  before  daybreak,  before  any  are  awake  to  witness 
the  surprising  childishness  of  the  white  teachers,  the 
stockings  are  opened,  and  shouts  of  laughter  echo 
through  the  house.    This  is  the  best  holiday  of  all. 

Birthdays  come  in  for  their  regular  observance,  and 
each  missionary  must  in  turn  make  his  own  cake.  This 
is  sometimes  the  first  introduction  to  the  culinary  de- 
partment, but  none  are  excused.  Flour  may  be  liberally 
distributed  on  face  and  floor,  but  no  such  cake  was 
ever  known  to  be  a  failure.  The  tasks  laid  down  are 
taken  up  again  and  better  done  because  of  the  little 
rest  and  recreation.  Henry  Van  Dyke's  Uncle  Peter 
in  "Days  Off,"  says :  "Every  man  owes  it  to  himself  to 
have  some  days  off  in  his  life,  when  he  escapes  from 
bondage,  gets  away  from  routine,  and  does  something 
which  seems  to  have  no  purpose  in  the  world,  just  be- 
cause he  wants  to  do  it.  There  is  a  benefit  as  well  as 
a  joy  in  finding  out  that  you  can  lay  down  your  task 
for  a  proper  while  without  being  disloyal  to  your  duty." 

Another  break  in  the  regular  routine  is  the  arrival 
of  a  steamer,  always  bringing  some  visitors.  These  may 
be  all  missionaries;  and  if  so,  either  new  ones  on  their 
way  to  their  new  life  work,  or  older  ones  returning 
home  on  furlough.  There  are  two  societies  which  have 
stations  on  the  Congo  itself  and  on  some  of  its  tribu- 
taries above  Bolenge.  One  is  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Society  (B.  M.  S.)  of  England,  which  was  organized 


Sunshine  and  Showers  169 

the  same  year  as  the  old  Livingstone  Inland  Mission, 
and  has  been  working  in  Congo  ever  since;  the  other 
is  the  Congo  Balolo  Mission,  which  was  organized  by 
Dr.  H.  Grattan  Guinness  when  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union  failed  to  carry  out  his  ideal  for  reach- 
ing the  regions  beyond.  Both  these  are  doing  a  great 
work,  and  their  workers  are  welcome  visitors  at  Bo- 
lenge.  There  is  a  singular  unity  prevailing  among  the 
societies  on  the  Congo,  and  this  has  been  a  great  help 
to  the  infant  churches.  Bolenge  and  the  people  there 
are  dear  to  many  of  these  other  missionaries,  for  here 
some  of  them  have  been  married,,  some  have  been  re- 
stored to  health,  and  here  others  have  laid  them  down 
to  sleep  and  are  resting  beneath  the  shelter  of  Bolenge 
palms.    Joy  and  sorrow  form  ties  never  to  be  broken. 

George  Grenfell,  for  thirty  years  a  missionary  under 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  next  to  Stanley  and 
Livingstone  the  most  important  explorer  and  geogra- 
pher of  Africa,  on  whose  drawings  all  the  present  stand- 
ard maps  of  the  Congo  are  based,  always  enjoyed  his 
little  visits  at  Bolenge.  He  was  a  pioneer,  and  out  of 
his  experiences  all  received  advice  and  encouragement. 
He  died  July,  1906,  attended  only  by  his  faithful  fol- 
lowers. Rev.  W.  Holman  Bentley  passed  away  that 
same  year,  these  two  being  the  oldest  workers  then  on 
the  field.  Time  and  space  fail  us  to  mention  all  those 
workers  who  have  helped  and  comforted  and  advised 
us  during  the  years  as  they  have  made  occasional  visits 
at  Bolenge. 

Besides  those  whose  home,  like  ours,  is  in  the  Congo 
there  have  been  from  time  to  time  consuls,  vice-consuls. 


170  Bolenge 

travelers,  reporters,  and  members  of  commissions  who 
have  spent  a  day  or  a  few  days  with  us.  These  have, 
without  exception,  had  a  good  word  for  the  work.  Mr. 
Giles,  with  his  secretary,  Sarvis,  passed  that  way;  Mrs. 
French  Sheldon,  the  only  woman  who  has  ever  tramped 
through  Congo  alone  and  unattended,  stopped  at  Bo- 
lenge several  times.  Our  views  did  not  coincide  with 
hers  on  all  questions,  but  her  visits  were  unique  and 
refreshing,  and  afforded  a  subject  for  conversation. 
Barren  Wahis,  the  Commissaire  General  of  the  Congo, 
at  one  time  English  Vice-Consul  Armstrong,  and  also 
Consul  Casement,  partook  of  Bolenge's  hospitality. 
Various  commissions  for  investigations  of  Congo  atroc- 
ities, and  also  others  for  research  on  sleeping-sickness, 
called  in  passing,  and  the  doctors  of  the  latter  commis- 
sion returned  again  to  investigate  the  cases  at  the  Mis- 
sion and  in  the  surrounding  villages.  Professor  Starr, 
of  the  University  of  Chicago,  stayed  ten  days  with  us, 
and  has  often  spoken  in  private  and  in  public  of  his 
high  appreciation  of  the  Bolenge  work,  as,  in  his  esti- 
mation, surpassing  that  of  any  other  station  visited  by 
him.  United  States  Consul  Smith,  in  a  private  letter 
written  soon  after  his  visit  there,  considered  the  edu- 
cational features  to  be  that  which  recommended  it  most 
to  him,  and  of  this  he  could  not  speak  too  highly. 
Edgar  Wallace,  war  correspondent  of  the  Daily  Mail, 
visited  all  the  up-river  stations  and  said,  "No  battle 
have  I  witnessed,  no  prowess  of  arms,  no  exhibition  of 
splendid  courage  in  the  face  of  overwhelming  odds  has 
inspired  me  as  the  work  of  these  outposts  of  Chris- 
tianity." 


Sunshine  and  Showers  171 

The  occasional  visits  of  these  and  many  others  have 
broken  in  on  the  regular  systematic  duties  of  day  after 
day,  and  have  brought  a  gleam  of  the  outside  world 
with  its  ambitions  and  strifes.  After  their  departure 
we  have  settled  down  again,  not  dissatisfied  with  our  lot, 
but  content  to  stay  midst  sunshine  and  showers  under 
the  equator. 


CHAPTER  XX 
Onward,  Forward 

Much  has  already  been  said  in  these  pages  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  Bosira  was  opened  to  the  gospel, 
and  the  conflicts  and  persecutions  through  which  the 
evangelists  passed.  In  April,  1907,  a  trip  was  made 
by  Dr.  Dye  and  Mr.  Hensey,  when  the  full  consent  of 
the  chiefs  and  elders  of  the  village  of  Longa  was  ob- 
tained to  plant  a  station  in  their  midst.  They  helped 
choose  the  site,  and  it  was  surveyed  and  a  chart  made 
of  it.  There  were  already  five  Christians  at  Longa  as 
a  result  of  the  evangelists'  preaching,  and  upon  this 
visit  nine  more  were  baptized — the  first  to  be  bap- 
tized in  the  waters  of  the  Bosira  Eiver.  This  beautiful 
ceremony  of  baptism  broke  down  much  prejudice.  This 
prejudice  was  caused  by  the  false  statements  of  Cath- 
olics, who  had  told  people  that  we  kept  the  candidates 
under  the  water  for  hours,  and  that  many  had  died 
during  the  ceremony.  No  argument  was  needed  after 
the  ceremony  was  witnessed. 

On  their  return  to  Bolenge  a  visit  was  made  to  the 
Commissaire  of  Equator  District  to  present  the  matter 
of  the  new  station.  He  seemed  quite  willing  to  do  all 
he  could,  and  suggested  the  insertion  of  a  clause  stating 
that  it  was  the  policy  of  the  Foreign  Christian  Mission- 
ary Society  to  send  a  doctor  to  every  station.  This 
petition,  with  a  plat  of  the  grounds,  was  sent  by  him 

172 


Onward,  Forward  173 

to  Boma  to  the  Governor-General.  He  also  approved 
of  it  and  forwarded  it  to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Brus- 
sels. Dr.  Dye,  on  his  way  home  in  August  of  the  same 
year,  made  a  trip  to  Brussels  from  England  and  con- 
ferred with  the  Belgian  oflBcials  concerning  the  grant- 
ing of  the  land.  They  promised  to  do  what  they  could, 
but  no  definite  answer  was  made  to  the  proposal.  Some 
months  passed,  and  finally  in  December  of  that  year 
a  letter  was  sent  to  Dr.  Dye  offering  Longa  on  a  twenty- 
year  lease.  This  was  accepted  and  a  cablegram  was  dis- 
patched to  Congo  to  proceed  to  Longa.  The  last 
months  of  1908  saw  Mr.  Eldred,  accompanied  by  the 
new  medical  missionary,  Dr.  L.  F.  Jaggard,  leave  Bo- 
lenge  to  open  the  new  station  one  hundred  miles  away. 
They  lived  in  a  temporary  store  house  until  a  dwelling 
house  could  be  built.  They  had  no  stove,  so  they 
cooked  on  an  open  fire  and  baked  in  an  empty  oil  drum. 
They  were  happy  to  thus  begin  the  work  of  the  Master 
in  that  needy  place.  A  church  of  fifty  members  was 
soon  organized,  and  more  have  been  added  since,  mak- 
ing the  membership  nearly  one  hundred  already.  This 
was  our  first  great  forward  step  in  Africa. 

We  are  now  ready  to  plant  the  blood-stained  banner 
of  the  cross  a  third  time  as  soon  as  a  location  can  be 
found.  The  situation  at  Bonyeka — or  Monieka,  as  it  is 
often  called — one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  beyond 
Longa,  is  strategic,  as  is  also  that  of  Mbala,  two  hun- 
dred miles  up  the  Momboyo  branch  of  the  Bosira. 
The  chief  of  Monieka  and  all  the  elders  of  the  people 
are  anxious  for  us  to  settle  there,  and  steps  have  been 
taken  to  secure  a  site.  This  is  at  present  indefinite, 
but  hopes  are  entertained  of  its  near  accomplishment. 


174  Bolenge 

This  is  the  key  to  the  most  populous  region  yet  vis- 
ited, where  the  population  of  the  villages  is  thousands 
instead  of  hundreds. 

Last  January  the  first  trip  was  made  there  by  the 
missionaries,  who  found  seven  hundred  people  intensely 
in  earnest  about  the  words  of  God.  Iso  Timothy  had 
then  been  in  charge  of  that  work  some  time.  A  little 
later  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hensey  made  a  second  trip,  and 
his  description  of  it  in  the  Missionary  Intelligencer  of 
April,  1909,  is  inspiring.  He  says:  "The  work  at 
Monieka  is  beyond  description.  Our  entrance  was  a 
triumphal  march,  and  we  were  soon  surrounded  by 
hundreds  of  welcoming  natives,  the  greater  part  of 
whom  had  never  seen  a  white  woman.  Some  who  came 
after  we  had  gone  into  the  house  set  apart  for  our 
use,  fought  for  a  peep  into  the  doors  and  windows,  and 
it  seemed  for  a  time  that  they  would  break  down  the 
flimsy  walls. 

"Then  they  sounded  the  great  wooden  drum,  and 
the  people  assembled  to  hear  God's  message.  Picture 
if  you  can  a  great  spreading-branched  palaver  tree, 
and  you  can  see  the  auditorium  nature  had  provided 
for  us.  Within  the  ample  shade  of  this  African  temple 
sat  a  great  circle  of  red-painted  natives.  In  the  center 
of  one  side  sat  the  chiefs  and  old  men,  each  in  his  own 
chair  of  state,  with  a  curious  broad-bladed  knife  in  his 
right  hand ;  to  their  left  sat  the  young  warriors,  uneasy 
with  the  spirit  of  those  who  are  more  used  to  the 
battle-ground  than  the  temple,  and  beyond  them  the 
boys,  as  fidgety  as  the  boys  of  any  land.  To  the  right 
the  women  and  girls  were  huddled  in  a  shapeless  mass, 
as  full  of  giggles  and  gossip  as  might  be  expected. 


BOSivaVmunanE. 
NORTm  CAlSW>ROPOSE0  STaJ 


The  territory  for  which  the  missionaries  of  the  Foreign 
Christian  Missionary  Society  are  responsible.  The  stars  indi- 
cate stations  and  proposed  stations;  the  dots,  points  where  the 
native  evangehsts  preach. 


Onward,  Forward  175 

The  other  side  of  the  circle  was  made  up  of  those  who 
are  more  earnestly  seeking  for  the  light.  These  sang 
with  much  zest  if  little  tune,  'There  's  Not  a  Friend 
Like  the  Lowly  Jesus,'  and  then  came  the  message. 

"In  this  concourse  sat  more  than  eight  hundred 
people;  it  was  the  moment  of  a  lifetime,  and  so  knew 
our  Bolenge  evangelists.  I  wish  some  who  doubt  the 
wisdom  of  missions  could  have  seen  one  of  these, 
lyokansombo,  as  I  first  saw  him — the  longest,  lankiest, 
awkwardest  boy  who  ever  struck  a  mission  station — 
and  then  could  have  seen  him  as  he  stood  at  the  su- 
preme moment.  As  if  conscious  of  the  hour  and  the 
dignity  of  the  message,  he  seemed  to  stand  a  little 
straighter  and  taller,  and  as  he  'reasoned  of  righteous- 
ness and  self-control,  and  the  judgment  to  come,'  and 
pressed  home  the  claims  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Savior 
and  King  of  men,  the  whispering  and  the  fidgeting 
died  away,  and  in  tense  eagerness  they  leaned  forward 
to  catch  every  word. 

''The  service  over,  the  elders  remained.  Then  rose 
Lonjataka,  the  hereditary  chief,  who  in  his  town  is 
as  autocratic  as  the  Czar,  ponderous  in  the  dignity 
befitting  a  man  who  has  two  hundred  and  ten  wives 
and  forty  houses  in  which  they  live.  Thus  said  he: 
'White  man,  the  words  of  God  which  you  have  spoken 
to  us  feel  very  good  in  our  stomachs.  If  our  young 
people  agree  to  them  it  will  be  good  for  Monieka.  At 
Bolenge  there  are  other  missionaries.  Why  do  n't  you 
and  mamma  stay  here  with  us?  We  will  build  you  a 
home,  and  you  shall  teach  us  of  your  new  "witch- 
doctor," whom  you  call  Jesus,  and  perhaps  even  we 
old  men  will  agree  to  him.' 


176  Bolenge 

"We  explained  to  them  the  present  impossibility  of 
a  mission  station  there,  but  they  agreed  to  build  at 
once  a  large  house  in  which  to  worship  God.  I  do 
not  think  I  ever  stood  in  the  presence  of  a  great  oppor- 
tunity so  tinged  with  sadness.  Here  is  this  great 
population — twenty  times  as  great  as  that  of  Bolenge; 
their  hearts  are  open;  neither  the  vices  of  civilization 
nor  sleeping  sickness  have  reached  that  far.  If  we 
could  but  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot!  But  to  secure 
a  mission  site  there  means  a  wait  of  probably  two 
years,  and  Monieka  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  Bolenge,  making  frequent  itineration  impossible. 
0  for  a  steamer,  be  it  ever  so  small !  You  would  not 
believe  me  if  I  should  tell  you  the  number  of  people 
that  could  be  reached  by  the  gospel  by  the  means  of  a 
suitable  steamer. 

"We  are  so  few  that  the  vastness  of  our  fields  casts 
always  a  shadow  over  us — the  darkness  which  comes 
over  the  heart  as  we  see  all  these  people  without  the 
changing  power  of  the  One  who  is  the  fairest  among 
ten  thousand.  As  you  pray,  will  you  remember  to 
pray  *for  us  also,  that  God  may  open  unto  us  a  door 
for  the  Word,'  that  these  two  millions  of  people  may 
be  saved  both  for  the  life  that  now  is  and  for  the  life 
yet  to  be?" 

In  a  recent  letter  from  Mrs.  Jaggard,  she  tells  of 
a  recent  trip  to  Lotumbe  or  Mbala  on  the  Momboyo. 
She  says:  "I  had  the  pleasure  of  making  this  trip. 
The  people  up  the  Momboyo  have  never  seen  a  white 
woman.  They  have  asked  the  missionary,  *Where  did 
you  come  from?  Have  you  no  mother?  We  have 
never  seen  a  white  woman.'     About  one  day  up  from 


Onward,  Forward  177 

Longa  we  stopped  at  a  village  and  the  people  said, 
'Let  her  get  out  of  the  canoe  and  walk,'  while  others 
said.  'Come  shake  hands  with  a  spirit.'  We  were 
two  and  a  half  days  on  the  journey,  reaching  Lotumbe 
Friday  evening.  We  stayed  there  until  Monday,  two 
being  baptized  on  Sunday.  Tuesday  morning  Dr.  Jag- 
gard  and  I  started  overland  to  visit  some  of  the  inland 
villages  four  or  five  miles  farther.  Here  the  people 
so  earnestly  desired  teaching  that  two  teachers  were 
left  there.  I  certainly  enjoyed  the  trip  very  much, 
although  it  is  very  hard  and  tiresome  to  ride  in  a 
native  canoe.     0,  we  do  long  for  the  steamer!" 

Evangelist  Efoloko,  the  "bishop  of  Mbala,"  is  lo- 
cated here.  He  is  one  of  the  strongest  characters  we 
have  ever  met  in  Congo.  He  was  a  personal  servant 
for  us,  doing  our  washing  and  ironing  ever  since  our 
first  year  in  Congo.  He  was  ever  an  energetic,  tire- 
less, willing  worker,  and  after  his  own  work  was  done, 
ever  seeking  for  some  other  useful  employment  for  his 
time.  He  was  not  a  boy,  though  he  had  the  spirit  and 
enthusiasm  of  a  boy,  but  was  a  man  grown  even  at 
that  time.  He  was  devoted  to  us  and  especially  to  the 
baby,  but  he  had  no  desire  for  Christianity.  We  knew 
that  when  that  energy  was  once  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  God,  there  would  be  few  like  him.  It  was 
long  years  in  coming.  Finally  it  was  a  dream  which 
turned  the  entire  current  of  his  life  and  brought  him 
to  the  feet  of  the  Master,  an  empty  vessel  ready  to  be 
filled  and  fitted  for  His  use.  After  the  day  or  week 
he  was  never  too  tired  to  go  many  miles  to  preach  to 
his  people,  and  how  they  listened  to  him !  He  wanted 
to  go  as  an  evangelist,  and  we  wanted  him  to  go,  but 
12 


178  Bolenge 

long  days  and  months  of  sickness  followed  and  he 
would  not  leave.  He  is  as  true  to  every  missionary 
as  to  us.  He  accompanied  us  as  far  as  Matadi  on  the 
way  home,  enjoying  his  first  ride  on  a  railway  and  his 
first  sight  of  the  ocean  steamer.  He  returned  to  take 
up  the  work  he  so  longed  to  do,  and  all  rejoice  in  his 
great  success.  "He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is 
least  is  faithful  also  in  much." 

For  a  mission  steamer  to  reach  these  farthest  out- 
posts and  to  penetrate  the  curtain  which  still  hangs 
beyond,  the  cry  has  been  loud  and  long.  At  the  very 
time  letters  were  on  the  way  from  Congo  begging  for 
one,  the  consecrated  band  of  people  at  the  Oregon  State 
Convention,  in  the  summer  of  1908,  made  that  heroic 
pledge  of  $15,000  to  build  the  needed  steamer.  Thus 
before  the  call  had  reached  America,  the  answer  had 
been  made  according  to  promise.  These  pledges  were 
made  in  earnest,  but  it  has  been  no  easy  task  to  reach 
every  church  and  inspire  them  to  do  their  share.  Much 
is  due  to  Geo.  C.  Eitchey,  evangelist  and  busy  pastor 
at  Newberg,  Oregon,  who  has  stood  behind  the  enter- 
prise loyally,  and  with  great  self-sacrifice  has  kept  up 
the  interest  and  gathered  in  the  funds.  This  loyal 
little  band  of  disciples  in  Oregon  are  setting  a  worthy 
example  for  the  other  States.  California  has  followed 
by  pledging  to  open  one  or  perhaps  two  new  stations 
up  the  Bosira.  The  steamer  is  at  the  time  of  this 
writing  an  assured  fact,  and  the  contract  has  been  let. 
It  is  singularly  fitting  that  it  be  built  in  this  our 
Centennial  City  of  Pittsburg,  where  all  who  go  up  to 
this  great  convocation  may  see  it.  The  dedication  of 
this  steamer  will  be  a  worthy  celebration  of  the  first 


AVV^H^'T^'' 


The  first  chapel  at  Bolenge. 


Sleeping  sickness   patients   at   the   Isolation   Camp 


The  "Oregon,"  the  new  mission  steamer  for  the  Congo. 


Onward,  Forward  179 

decade  of  the  work  in  Africa.  But  this  is  not  the  only 
anniversary  memorial,  for  the  Bible  College,  a  train- 
ing school  for  evangelists,  at  Bolenge,  is  now  an  as- 
sured fact.  These  will  be  two  of  the  great  undertak- 
ings of  this  memorable  year.  From  some  articles  by 
Mr.  Hensey  on  the  need  of  this  college,  notice  this: 
*'It  may  be  that  it  will  be  a  hundred  years  before  the 
churches,  born  only  yesterday  out  of  the  grossest  hea- 
thenism, are  ready  for  self-government.  So  be  it — 
the  longer  the  time  it  is  going  to  take  to  bring  to  pass 
independent  churches  of  Christ  in  Africa,  the  more 
imperative  the  need  to  establish  this  college  at  once. 
Every  vestige  of  civilization  these  interior  peoples 
have,  must  be  taken  to  them  by  the  Bolenge  and  Longa 
evangelists.  The  Government  will  do  nothing.  Not 
only  will  there  be  no  imperial  universities,  but  there 
will  be  no  large  number  of  State  schools.  The  sole 
hope  of  Congoland  is  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  is  ever  the  gospel  of  civilization.  A  Bible  Col- 
lege at  Bolenge  will  make  possible  the  proclamation 
of  this  gospel  in  every  village  and  every  hamlet." 

Each  of  these  enterprises  will  cost  more  than  the 
sums  pledged,  and  every  loyal  Disciple  of  Christ  who 
reads  these  pages  is  asked  to  have  a  share  in  making 
these  great  projects  possible.  This  will  duplicate  one's 
life  and  perpetuate  one's  memory  in  a  most  noble  way. 

This  is  but  the  beginning,  for  soon  the  steamer  will 
make  possible  the  opening  of  many  new  stations  and 
necessitate  the  sending  of  many  new  missionaries. 

0,  let  us  be  ready  to  press  onward  and  forward,  and 
thus  hasten  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man ! 


CHAPTEE    XXI 
Why  We  Love  Them 

This  question,  "Why  do  you  love  them?"  is  often 
asked;  perhaps  more  often  than  any  other.  It  may 
arise  in  the  minds  of  many  who  may  read  this  book, 
so  in  anticipation  it  will  be  answered  here.  We,  who 
take  the  Bible  for  our  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice, 
will  find  the  answer  there.  Christ,  that  Son  sent  of 
God  because  of  His  love  for  the  world,  says,  "This  is 
My  commandment  that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I 
have  loved  you."  Therefore,  the  first  answer  would 
be,  "We  love  them  because  the  love  of  God  and  His 
Son  Jesus  Christ  constraineth  us  to  love  the  ungodly 
and  sinner,  and  because  Christ  has  given  us  the  com- 
mandment. Without  this  prerequisite  of  love  for  the 
people,  no  missionary  should  ever  go  to  the  field.  The 
first  sight  of  the  heathen  is  not  conducive  to  love;  but 
pity  is  akin  to  love."  The  heart  of  the  God-sent 
teacher  goes  out  to  the  heathen  with  an  intense  yearn- 
ing; he  knows  that  they  may  become  transformed  by 
the  love  of  God.  He  sees  in  the  ugly,  bloody  cannibal 
a  true,  valiant  soldier  of  the  cross;  in  the  idle,  disso- 
lute youth  the  zealous,  consecrated  standard-bearer, 
marching  throughout  the  land  carrying  life  and  re- 
demption to  his  people.  His  wife  sees  in  the  most 
hopelessly  degraded  woman  the  ideal  wife  and  mother, 

180 


Why  We  Love  Them  181 

in  whom  the  heart  of  a  husband  may  safely  trust;  in 
the  babe,  besmirched  with  oil  and  camwood,  the  clean, 
shining  face  of  a  winsome  child,  drawing  all  hearts 
by  its  innocent  purity.  They  see  all  this  and  more; 
they  love  them  until  their  dreams  are  more  than  ful- 
filled. Then  they  love  them  not  for  what  they  may 
become,  but  for  what  they  are.  Pity  has  changed  to 
admiration.  Day  by  day  this  admiration  increases  as 
the  people,  so  shortly  before  in  deepest  degradation, 
heroically  give  up  all  for  Christ.  Poverty  and  perse- 
cution are  accepted  joyfully  for  the  gospel's  sake. 
These  young  converts  merit  admiration  and  respect 
because  of  their  devotion  and  noble  development.  Lit- 
tle by  little  admiration  is  strengthened  into  a  strong  at- 
tachment. This  is  the  stepping-stone  to  a  real  affection 
which  they  return.  They  have  come  to  appreciate  the 
true  meaning  and  purpose  of  their  white  teacher's  life 
among  them.  They  understand  how  the  missionary 
has  surrendered  home  ties  to  come  to  them.  Their 
hearts  go  out  to  these  leaders  sent  to  them  by  God, 
and  they  love  them  unselfishly  and  devotedly. 

"Heaven  is  not  reached  at  a  single  bound. 
But  we  build  the  ladder  by  which  we  rise 
From  the  lowly  earth  to  the  vaulted  skies. 
And  we  mount  to  its  summit  round  by  round." 

This  is  true  of  the  missionary's  love  for  the  heathen. 
It  is  by  these  ofttimes  slow  steps  that  undying  friend- 
ships are  formed  between  the  missionary  and  his  peo- 
ple. It  is  doubtless  difficult  for  others  to  realize  the 
possibility  of  such  love  when  hearing  the  statement 
made  for  the  first  time.     Only  those  who  have  expe- 


182  Bolenge 

rienced  it  can  fully  appreciate  it.  Some  instances, 
however,  may  help  to  make  plain  tlie  reason  for  this 
deep  personal  affection. 

During  many  months  the  orphanage  girls  were 
without  any  woman  to  superintend  them.  They  then 
proved  their  sterling  worth  by  keeping  in  good  be- 
havior and  doing  their  tasks  faithfully.  One  of  these 
girls,  Inkondo,  became  a  nurse  maid.  She  practically 
lived  in  the  invalid's  room  for  months,  sleeping  in  the 
dining-room  at  night.  Her  services  were  in  constant 
demand,  but  never  by  look,  action,  or  word  did  she 
intimate  her  weariness  or  desire  to  be  freed  from  the 
task.  Though  a  young  girl,  she  assumed  charge  of  the 
younger  girls  in  the  orphanage.  When  a  few  mo- 
ment's opportunity  afforded,  she  taught  them  to  cut 
and  sew.  She  became  like  a  matron  to  the  girl's  school, 
a  position  she  still  holds.  She  had  in  earlier  days 
been  the  most  unpromising  of  all  the  girls.  We  now 
love  her  as  a  daughter,  and  long  for  her  sweet  com- 
panionship when  away  from  her. 

At  one  time  the  writer  seemed  sufficiently  recovered 
for  Dr.  Dye  to  safely  leave  her  to  the  care  of  his  med- 
ical colleague.  Dr.  Widdowson,  for  an  evangelistic 
journey  up  river.  A  few  days  after  his  departure, 
however,  a  serious  relapse  occurred.  It  was  in  the  dead 
of  night.  A  messenger  was  dispatched  to  the  native 
village  for  volunteers  to  go  for  the  absent  husband. 
The  whole  village  volunteered  and  a  crew  of  the  strong- 
est paddlers  was  chosen.  Hurriedly  they  embarked  in 
the  little  log  canoe  and  set  out  on  their  long  journey 
up  river.  On  and  on  they  paddled,  stopping  for  noth- 
ing.   Through  storm  and  merciless  sunshine  they  went, 


Why  We  Love  Them  183 

scarcely  stopping  for  food.  For  two  days  and  nights 
they  paddled,  reaching  the  place  where  they  expected 
to  find  the  itinerating  party.  But  Dr.  Dye  was  not 
there;  he  had  promised,  however,  to  return  that  night, 
so  these  messengers  impatiently  awaited  his  coming. 
At  sundown  the  tunk-tunk-tunk  of  the  native  canoe 
drum  was  heard,  and  the  party  came  into  the  beach. 
Fear  seized  them  as  they  saw  the  line  of  messengers 
from  home.  A  note  was  handed  the  Doctor ;  their  fears 
were  confirmed.  Every  moment  was  priceless,  and 
these  noble  paddlers  offered  to  return  at  once,  that  the 
husband  might  not  get  home  too  late.  They  chose  a 
small,  swift  canoe  in  which  he  could  scarcely  sit,  and  a 
few  of  the  strongest  paddlers  started  at  midnight  to 
paddle  home.  The  smaller  canoe  could  make  better 
time.  The  down  river  current  increased  their  speed. 
The  full  force  of  their  strong  muscles  was  put  into 
every  stroke  of  the  paddle.  No  unnecessary  words  were 
spoken,  for  they  were  making  a  race  with  death.  At 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  same  day  they 
quietly  swung  into  the  beach  at  Bolenge.  Their  com- 
ing had  been  noted,  though  the  drum  was  now  silent, 
and  as  they  sank  exhausted  on  the  ground  they  thanked 
God  they  had  not  been  too  late.  Do  we  love  them? 
After  such  proofs  of  affection  and  devotion  to  us,  the 
very  rocks  would  cry  out  against  us  did  we  not  return 
their  love.  Were  it  necessary  they  would  willingly  lay 
down  their  lives  for  us,  and  we  would  as  willingly  lay 
down  our  lives  for  them  and  the  gospel. 


CHAPTER   XXII 
Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects 

Even"  the  present-day  books  on  Africa  have  illus- 
trations representing  an  ideal  scene  with  palms,  huge 
trees,  and  a  river;  all  the  trees  are  filled  with  birds  of 
every  kind;  elephants,  hippopotami,  and  zebras  are 
scattered  here  and  there.  A  canoe  load  of  natives 
hunting  all  this  game  is  also  usually  a  part  of  this 
picture.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  such  an  ideal  scene 
has  probably  never  been  known.  Although  Central 
Africa  teems  with  animal  and  bird  life,  yet  in  jour- 
neys by  water  or  overland  few  of  these  beasts  and 
birds  of  the  forest  are  seen  save  as  they  are  hunted. 

The  forest  inhabitants,  however,  are  many,  the 
larger  animals  being  the  elephant,  the  buffalo,  and 
numerous  kinds  of  antelope.  Then  there  are  the  mon- 
key, the  gorilla,  the  chimpanzee,  the  baboon,  the  wild 
boar,  hedgehog,  the  leopard,  the  striped  hyena,  the 
wild  cat,  and  other  feline  animals.  Besides  these  there 
are  a  multitude  of  little  animals  uncommon  and  inter- 
esting. Lizards,  iguana,  and  chameleons  are  fre- 
quently seen.  The  little  house  lizards  are  quite  at 
home  with  us,  under  our  pillows  and  in  our  clothing. 
These  are  harmless,  however,  and  welcome  destroyers  of 
vermin.  Reptiles  abound,  but  they  avoid  the  habitation 
of  man.     Pythons   occasionally   carry   off   fowls,   and 

184 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    185 

when  shot  afford  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  of  fine  round- 
steak  for  the  natives.  Many  smaller  poisonous  rep- 
tiles inhabit  trees  and  underbrush,  but  are  seldom  trou- 
blesome in  the  cleared  spaces  of  habitation.  Frogs  and 
toads  and  bats,  both  the  common  house  bat  and  the 
horse-headed  bat,  are  in  this  region  of  Congo;  while 
the  scale  armadillo  inhabits  both  the  ground  and  the 
treetop.  The  latter  is  held  in  superstitious  awe  by  tlie 
natives,  for  a  stroke  of  lightning  is  always  attributed 
to  a  spirit  in  the  form  of  this  animal,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  disappear  in  the  ground  instantly. 

Birds  of  many  kinds  inhabit  these  forests,  but  not 
many  of  brilliant  plumage.  Parrots  abound  and  pass 
over  in  large  flocks  to  and  from  their  feeding  grounds. 
Vultures,  heron,  fishing  eagles,  and  large  birds  fre- 
quent the  rivers,  and  wild  ducks  are  numerous.  Guinea 
fowls  are  wild,  but  have  been  domesticated  by  some. 
Hosts  of  weaver  birds  destroy  the  beauty  of  the  palms, 
stripping  them  to  build  their  nests.  Perhaps  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  birds  is  the  snowy  aigrette  with 
its  plumy  feathers,  so  valuable  in  this  country. 

The  hippopotamus  and  the  crocodile  are  monarchs 
of  the  rivers,  and  these  are  always  in  evidence,  though 
they  disappear  quickly  at  the  least  sound.  Myriads 
of  fish  of  many  kinds  and  many  sizes  fill  the  rivers 
and  afford  a  fine  addition  to  our  diet. 

This  is  a  hasty  and  incomplete  survey  of  these  deni- 
zens of  the  forest,  but  we  are  more  familiar  with  the 
insect  tribes,  which  are  our  nearer  neighbors,  and  of 
whose  close  proximity  we  are  painfully  aware.  The 
one  deserving  first  mention,  because  of  its  attracting 
first  attention,  is  the  mosquito.    This  has  become  such 


186  Bolenge 

a  menace  to  life  that  its  original  vocation  of  purifying 
water  of  decaying  matter  is  lost  sight  of.  If,  as  they 
are  supposed  to  do,  they  purify  the  water  and  thus  the 
atmosphere,  Congo  should  be  remarkably  healthful, 
for  surely  every  species  known  is  there  and  in  super- 
abundance. These  range  from  the  giant  magarinus  to 
the  tiniest  one,  which  resembles  a  gnat  in  size,  but 
gives  evidence  of  its  presence  in  a  multitude  of  ways, 
defying  all  attempted  means  of  protection  against  it. 
In  certain  seasons  the  natives  are  driven  out  of  their 
houses  by  the  mosquitoes,  and  sleep  on  top  of  scaf- 
foldings built  over  a  smoldering  fire.  Even  inside  the 
mosquito  canopy  the  European  is  not  safe,  for  the 
finest  mesh  is  not  always  proof  against  the  entrance  of 
these  tiny  pests,  and  night  often  becomes  a  horror. 

Cockroaches  are  almost  as  numerous  as  the  mos- 
quito and  of  many  varieties.  They  feast  in  secret  upon 
our  food,  our  clothing,  our  books,  our  shoes,  and  even 
become  cannibalistic  and  feast  on  us.  They  owe  their 
safety  and  increase  to  their  nocturnal  and  light-hating 
habits.  A  constant  war  must  be  carried  on  against 
them  in  the  house.  They  attain  formidable  size,  the 
winged  male  often  being  two  or  three  inches  long. 
These  insects  frequently  waken  the  newcomer,  who 
thinks  some  one  is  knocking  outside,  and  often  calls  to 
find  what  is  wanted.  There  is  no  response  save  the 
continued  rap,  which  is  explained  to  him  later  as  due 
to  the  roaches.  There  are  some  people  who  seem  to 
be  savory  to  them,  and  in  the  dead  of  night  they  come 
and  nibble  at  the  fingers  or  face,  awaking  the  victim 
with  their  attacks.  It  becomes  necessary  to  thoroughly 
rid  the  bedstead  of  them  every  day  and  administer 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    187 

doses  of  poison  to  kill  them.  Even  these  pests  are 
somewhat  welcome  when  they  are  found  to  keep  the 
house  free  from  bedbugs.  The  weevil  destroys  the  corn 
and  infests  the  flour,  tins  often  being  full  of  them 
when  supposed  to  be  hermetically  sealed.  They  defy 
all  attempts  at  their  destruction. 

The  earwig  is  here  as  everywhere  a  dreaded  in- 
sect, though  the  popular  superstition  that  they  creep 
into  the  ears  has  not  been  verified.  They  creep  into 
little  crevices  and  holes  in  the  native  headrests,  and 
then,  when  the  head  or  neck  is  resting  on  them,  bite  the 
unsuspecting  sleeper.  We  can  settle  any  doubts  con- 
cerning these  from  personal  experience. 

By  far  the  greatest  insect  plague  to  be  endured  is 
that  of  ants.  These  are  of  all  sizes,  colors,  and  varieties 
of  habitat.  Several  species  are  quite  domesticated,  and 
seem  to  have  found  here  ample  scope  for  their  indus- 
trious disposition.  They  quickly  dispose  of  any  food 
left  within  their  reach,  and  where  can  they  not  reach? 
Table  legs  are  set  in  tins  of  water,  but  they  form 
ingenious  bridges  and  cross  over.  "Wire  screen  cup- 
boards are  suspended  from  the  roof  by  wires,  which 
they  descend  like  a  toboggan  slide  until  cups  of  kero- 
sene are  fastened  to  the  wires,  over  which  they  refuse 
to  pass.  But  oil  evaporates  and  they  are  ever  on  the 
watch.  One  almost  despairs  of  their  riddance  when  the 
soup  and  coffee  swim  with  them,  but  if  a  few  remain 
they  are  insignificant  anyway  and  have  been  steril- 
ized. Another  band  delights  to  locate  in  some  box  or 
drawer  of  choice  ribbons,  or  in  a  box  of  rare  specimens 
and  there  deposit  their  eggs.  These  do  no  harm  except 
to  stain  everything  on  which  they  deposit,  and  make 


188  Bolenge 

themselves  a  public  and  private  nuisance.  Still  an- 
other tribe  lives  in  the  roof,  climbs  up  and  down  the 
rafters,  and  eats  holes  in  all  curtains  and  available 
draperies.  These  leave  a  peculiar  odor,  and  are 
tenacious  of  life.  Of  the  other  varieties  which  live  as 
parasites  about  the  house  nothing  need  be  said.  The 
peculiar  manner  in  which  the  leaves  of  the  mango  and 
orange  trees  are  often  clustered  together  attracts  one's 
attention,  and  on  closer  investigation  they  are  discov- 
ered to  enclose  an  army  of  small  black  ants.  One  will 
not  care  to  make  the  investigation  very  minute,  for 
suddenly  he  feels  a  sting  like  the  prick  of  a  red-hot 
needle,  and  on  looking  finds  he  has  ventured  too  near 
the  trunk  of  the  tree,  which  is  alive  with  these  tiny 
warriors.  It  is  amusing  to  see  some  native  walk  slowly 
up  the  path,  stick  his  spear  in  the  ground,  and  seat 
himself  with  his  back  to  the  tree  to  wait  for  the  white 
man  to  buy  his  fowls.  Suddenly  with  a  shriek  he 
jumps  up  in  a  most  undignified  manner,  and,  grabbing 
at  his  back,  wildly  looks  around  to  see  what  has  dis- 
turbed him  thus.  The  boys  who  climb  these  ant- 
infested  trees  are  brave,  indeed.  One  of  the  most  ter- 
rible species  of  ants  known  in  the  Congo  is  the  driver 
ant,  though  knovm  by  others  as  the  foraging  or  ranger 
ant.  This  is  also  the  most  interesting  and  remarkable 
of  all.  These  are  organized  in  an  army  with  com- 
mander, guides,  and  scouts,  who  are  larger  than  the 
common  soldier  and  walk  beside  them  to  keep  the 
column  in  perfect  order,  or  to  send  a  detachment  out 
on  a  foraging  expedition.  The  army  is  several  inches 
to  a  foot  wide,  and  sometimes  miles  long.  They  always 
travel  by  night  or  on  a  cloudy  day,  as  they  can  not 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    189 

endure  the  sun.  If  forced  to  move  in  the  sun  they 
dig  a  trench  underground.  Their  sole  purpose  seems 
to  be  to  destroy  other  insects,  and  no  animal  of  the 
jungle  can  withstand  them.  The  elephant  and  python 
flee  before  their  approach,  for  in  an  instant  the  whole 
army  covers  the  victim  and  by  their  venomous  sting 
quickly  destroys  him.  They  ford  streams  by  making 
pontoon  bridges  of  their  own  bodies,  over  which  the 
army  marches.  When  a  colony  of  these  establishes 
ityelf  near  the  house  an  effort  is  made  to  destroy  it 
immediately,  which  can  usually  be  done  with  plenty 
of  boiling  water  poured  into  their  cleverly  disguised 
habitation  in  the  ground.  Bolengo  is  noted  for  their 
many  depredations,  so  much  so  that  when  the  pioneer 
workers  landed  they  were  warned  to  keep  their  shoes, 
stockings,  and  dressing  gowns  always  beside  them  to 
make  escape  expeditious. 

One  of  the  number  had  a  painful  experience  with 
these  ferocious  pests.  He  had  been  sleeping  soundly 
when  a  sound  as  of  rain  wakened  him.  He  wondered 
what  it  could  be,  but  dropped  to  sleep  again,  to  be 
wakened  this  time  by  severe  bites  on  different  parts 
of  his  body.  He  jumped  out  of  bed,  suffering  more 
at  every  step,  lighted  a  candle,  and  found  the  whole 
room,  floor,  walls,  and  furniture  black  with  these  ants. 
He  swept  them  off  a  chair  and  climbed  upon  it.  He 
remained  in  this  uncomfortable  position  for  an  hour 
or  two,  keeping  them  with  difficulty  from  the  chair, 
when  they  took  their  departure. 

Even  when  the  head  and  body  of  these  ants  are 
torn  apart,  each  is  tenacious  of  life  and  lives  for  one 
or  two  days,  the  head  burying  its  formidable  mandibles 


190  Bolenge 

in  whatever  approaches  it.  These  must  be  pulled  out 
with  great  care.  They  will  remain  firmly  imbedded  in 
the  flesh,  though  it  may  be  through  several  thicknesses 
of  clothing.  They  carry  away  heavy  loads,  the  whole 
column  lifting  it  up  and  carrying  it  off.  If  too  large, 
it  is  first  torn  into  desirable  sections. 

One  night  the  sheep  began  to  bleat  most  pitifully, 
and  when  this  continued  for  some  time,  becoming  more 
distressing  every  moment,  a  lantern  was  lighted,  and 
by  this  time  some  natives  had  been  aroused  by  their 
cries.  The  door  of  the  sheep  cote  was  opened  and  the 
reason  quickly  seen.  The  whole  whitewashed  interior 
was  literally  black  with  drivers  and  the  poor  sheep 
were  nearly  mad.  Each  one  had  to  be  caught  and  the 
most  of  the  ferocious  insects  removed  before  letting 
it  go,  or  else  all  the  sheep  would  soon  have  been  dead. 
There  was  a  similar  experience  when  one  night  they 
entered  the  fowl  house,  the  inhabitants  flying  about 
wildly  in  an  endeavor  to  escape  them.  Every  fowl 
would  have  been  destroyed  before  morning  had  it  not 
been  released. 

At  one  time  an  army  of  these  ants  entered  one  of 
the  bungalows  every  night  at  midnight  for  several 
successive  nights.  Each  night  the  missionaries  resid- 
ing there  had  to  make  a  hasty  escape  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  station,  where  the  door  of  another  home  was 
left  on  the  latch  and  a  bed  ready  for  them.  The  offer 
of  a  leather  belt  to  the  lad  discovering  their  nest  caused 
a  mad  rush  for  the  surrounding  bush,  and  the  habita- 
tion was  soon  found  and  destroyed.  For  some  time 
after  this  we  were  free  from  these  visits,  when  one 
cloudy  day  before  we  were  aware,  they  had  entered  unan- 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    191 

nounced  and  taken  possession  of  our  house.  We  decided 
to  go  for  a  visit  with  our  fellow  missionaries  and  stay 
for  dinner,  which  just  suited  their  plan  also.  By  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  they  had  departed,  having 
rid  the  house  of  every  roach,  spider,  and  insect  in  it. 
Often  after  that  they  attempted  to  come,  but  when- 
ever they  were  seen  approaching,  fire  was  put  in  their 
path,  which  made  them  reconnoitre  and  change  their 
plan. 

A  couple  of  years  ago,  just  before  the  writer  re- 
turned home,  a  colony  of  these  ants  was  seen  climbing 
the  pillars  of  the  new  house  where  we  were  then  sleep- 
ing. Inkondo  was  set  to  watch  them,  and  to  seize  our 
bedding  and  sleeping  garments  if  they  entered  the 
room.  They  soon  made  their  way  in,  and  we  decamped. 
At  supper,  where  all  the  missionaries  ate  together,  it 
was  decided  to  have  a  little  farewell  midnight  lunch. 
The  mosquito  curtains  were  hung  up  in  the  large 
living  room  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hensey's  house  and  all 
was  in  readiness.  A  small  room  off  from  this  was 
used  as  a  dark-room,  and  Dr.  Dye  went  in  to  develop 
some  pictures.  On  coming  out  he  was  picking  at  ants 
on  his  ankles,  and  thought  he  must  have  stepped  on 
one  of  their  columns  somewhere  in  the  path.  A  light, 
however,  discovered  their  presence  in  the  dark-room 
in  large  numbers.  The  party  was  broken  up,  the  nets 
untied,  and  bedding  hurriedly  bundled  up.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hensey  decided  to  sleep  in  the  hospital,  so  tlie 
girls  went  across  to  make  the  bed  ready.  Screams 
were  heard  amid  shouts  of  laughter,  for  the  drivers  had 
taken  possession  of  that  too.  It  was  about  midnight 
already,  so  Mr.   and   Mrs.   Hensey  accompanied   Mr. 


192  Bolenge 

Eldred  home  across  to  the  other  side  of  the  station, 
while  Dr.  Widdowson  and  ourselves  ventured  to  return 
to  the  new  house,  which  the  ants  were  leaving  by  this 
time.  It  was  a  lark,  indeed,  not  the  kind  planned  for, 
but  doubtless  more  memorable. 

Of  great  interest  also  is  the  termite  or  so-called 
white  ant.  The  name  is  a  misnomer,  for  it  does  not 
belong  to  that  family  at  all  nor  bear  any  resemblance 
to  them.  The  white  ants  feed  upon  decaying  vegetable 
matter,  thus  securing  to  the  tropical  forests  its  never- 
ceasing  verdure.  They  permeate  every  twig,  branch, 
and  giant  tree  which  is  broken  off  or  felled  in  the 
forest  and  reduce  it  to  a  powder,  thus  keeping  the  for- 
est cleared  and  fertilizing  the  soil.  All  but  the  king 
and  queen  are  blind,  and  all  avoid  the  light.  The 
white  ant  is  a  small  insect  with  a  bloated,  creamy-col- 
ored body,  most  repulsive  to  look  upon,  and  quickly 
detected  by  a  peculiar  odor  not  like  that  of  any  other 
insect. 

To  carry  on  their  work  and  still  avoid  the  light 
of  day  they  make  an  outside  tunnel,  each  worker  bring- 
ing a  tiny  bit  of  clay  which  is  covered  with  a  gluey  sub- 
stance to  add  to  this  wonderful  work  of  masonry.  This 
tiny  tunnel  is  made  as  fast  as  they  travel,  and  it  is 
surprising  how  fast  they  can  go  and  how  much  damage 
they  can  do  in  a  single  night.  They  burrow  through 
the  pillars  on  which  the  houses  are  raised,  and  if  these 
be  not  of  ironwood  the  house  will  begin  to  settle  in 
places.  An  investigation  will  prove  the  pillars  to  be 
but  hollow  shells,  waiting  for  a  touch  to  reduce  them 
to  powder.  If  the  pillars  be  of  ironwood  they  will 
follow  it  to  the  top  beneath  their  clay  tunnels  and 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    193 

build  a  small  hill  on  the  top  in  which  to  live  while 
working  up  through  the  floor  into  the  house  above. 
Doors  and  windows  will  be  entered  and  soon  the  glass 
will  rattle  and  seem  to  be  loose,  but  examination  will 
show  the  frame  to  be  hollow  and  ready  to  fall.  One 
of  the  houses  at  Bolenge  had  long  been  empty  when 
the  station  was  taken  over,  and  several  doors  were  seem- 
ingly perfect  to  look  at,  but  really  only  a  shell.  One 
of  these  doors  still  stands,  though  much  disfigured. 

At  one  time  a  wooden  box  containing  a  few  choice 
pieces  of  dress  material  was  entered,  and  in  passing 
through  the  ants  had  eaten  every  piece  completely  in 
two,  to  the  sorrow  of  the  owner.  These  had  been  care- 
fully saved  to  make  warm  clothing  for  the  white  mis- 
sionary baby's  voyage  back  to  America.  At  another  time 
the  writer  was  wearing  her  last  pair  of  shoes,  which  were 
needing  half  soles  badly,  when  a  box  from  home  came 
containing  some  new  ones.  These  were  put  away  for  a 
few  days  in  the  bath-room,  and  on  going  to  get  them 
out  again  to  wear  they  were  found  to  be  completely 
filled  with  the  clay  nests  of  white  ants.  The  lining  and 
insoles  were  all  eaten  away  and  the  shoes  completely 
ruined.  It  was  six  months  before  another  pair  could 
be  procured  from  home.  A  medical  library  was  being 
moved  from  one  house  to  another,  and  the  valuable  vol- 
umes were  laid  on  the  floor  over  night.  When  morn- 
ing came  and  the  work  of  arranging  them  began,  half 
of  them  were  found  to  have  been  indexed  by  the  white 
ants  during  the  night.  In  passing  over  them  they  had 
eaten  chunks  out  of  the  sides  and  ends,  leaving  them 
looking  much  as  though  a  crude  attempt  had  been 
made  at  an  alphabetical  index  arrangement  on  the 
13 


194  Bolenge 

edges.  These  and  many  similar  tricks  have  they  played 
upon  us.  Now  a  scheme  has  been  devised  of  capping 
each  ironwood  pillar  with  tin,  through  which  they 
can  not  eat,  and  their  depredations  have  ceased. 

In  the  forests  these  tiny  creatures  build  huge 
mounds,  bringing  every  bit  of  clay  from  beneath  the 
surface  as  they  build.  In  the  very  center  is  a  secluded 
room  where  the  queen  and  king  consort  reside,  both  of 
whom  have  eyes.  Eventually  the  queen  is  enclosed  by 
a  clay  wall,  and  never  leaves  her  chamber  again,  but 
spends  her  whole  lifetime  of  two  years  in  laying  eggs, 
during  certain  periods  at  the  rate  of  forty  or  fifty  a 
minute,  some  fifty  millions  being  laid  before  her  death. 
Workers  are  standing  ready  who  carry  these  eggs  to 
various  secluded  parts  of  the  great  incubator,  where 
they  are  left  to  hatch.  These  workers  also  feed  the 
queen. 

These  clay  built  citadels  are  not  friable,  but  hard 
as  cement,  and  in  many  instances  resemble  good-sized 
hills  on  which  summer  houses  have  been  built.  A 
traveler  often  climbs  to  the  top  of  one  to  view  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  material  of  these  ant  hills  is 
most  valuable  in  making  bricks,  and  is  utilized  wher- 
ever possible.  Around  Bolenge  and  in  the  marshy  sec- 
tion these  hills  are  small  compared  with  those  on 
higher  land,  but  they  are  more  numerous.  These  seem 
to  do  for  the  tropical  soil  what  the  earthworm  does 
for  the  temperate  in  renewing  and  fertilizing,  and  are 
certainly  one  of  the  great  agencies  for  preserving  beau- 
teous nature  by  removing  decaying  timbers. 

A  word  should  be  said  of  the  ambulatoria  or  walk- 
ing insects,  called  sometimes  the  devil's  walking  stick. 


Congo  Animals,  Birds,  and  Insects    195 

These  are  held  in  superstitious  awe  by  the  natives,  who 
call  them  gods.  Like  the  mantis  family  they  all  raise 
their  forelegs  as  in  adoration,  which  the  world  over 
has  given  rise  to  their  being  looked  upon  with  super- 
stition. When  a  native  child  meets  one  of  these  he 
falls  down  in  front  of  it,  and,  imitating  its  move- 
ments, says,  "Fafa  ngone,  ngoya  ngone,  nkoko  ngone, 
we  ngone;"  which  is,  "Papa  this  way  (bringing  his 
hands  together  in  front  of  his  face),  mamma  this  way, 
grandfather  this  way,  you  this  way."  These  ambula- 
toria  grow  to  a  large  size,  one  specimen  which  we 
brought  home  being  ten  inches  long.  The  whole  insect 
looks  like  a  dead  twig,  and  only  when  its  beautiful 
wings  are  unfolded  could  the  difference  be  detected,  so 
great  is  the  provision  of  tropical  nature  for  the  pro- 
tection of  its  inhabitants.  Its  wings  are  folded  like 
a  fan  upon  its  back  and  completely  hidden. 

Spiders  here  must  outdo  the  rest  of  the  world  in 
size,  curious  shapes,  beautiful  markings,  and  deadliness. 
Scorpions,  centipedes,  chiggers,  and  other  deadly  and 
annoying  insects  deserve  mention,  as  do  some  of  the 
gorgeously  beautiful  butterflies  and  moths,  but  space 
forbids,  and  entomologists  will  be  left  to  tell  the  rest. 
There  is  a  field  for  the  scientist  in  equatorial  Congo 
such  as  the  world  at  large  has  never  dreamed  of.  There 
are  hosts  of  insects  unseen  and  unknown  save  to  the 
natives  which  will  excite  the  wonder  and  admiration  of 
the  approaching  scientist. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts 

"We  have  seen  how  strong,  earnest,  capable  Chris- 
tian men  and  women  have  been  developed  out  of  the 
most  degraded  of  people.  But  to  appreciate  fully  this 
change,  more  of  their  real  home  life  must  be  known. 

Their  houses  are  long,  low  huts.  A  foundation  or 
floor  is  made  first  by  placing  logs  about  the  spot  where 
they  desire  to  build,  and  filling  this  enclosure  with 
mud,  which  is  then  packed  hard  by  the  whole  village 
tramping  it  with  their  feet.  The  mud  is  taken  from 
some  spot  near  the  proposed  site,  and  the  hole  thus 
made  is  left  to  fill  with  water  and  debris — an  ad- 
mirable place  for  mosquito  larvae,  and  emitting  a  most 
obnoxious  odor.  The  foundation  laid,  the  next  step 
is  to  procure  poles  for  the  superstructure.  Two  larger 
and  taller  forked  poles  are  placed,  one  at  each  end. 
In  the  fork  of  these  the  ridge-pole  is  laid.  The  house 
frame  consists  of  a  double  layer  of  small  poles  or  split 
bamboo.  Between  these  dried  banana  and  plantain 
leaves  are  packed,  serving  the  purpose  of  building-pa- 
per. The  larger  and  better  houses  now  built  by  the 
Christians  are  filled  in  with  clay,  neatly  plastered  in- 
side and  out,  and  whitewashed  with  pipe  clay. 

The  roofs  of  these  primitive  structures  are  made 
of  grass  or  palm  leaves,  according  to  the  region  in 

196 


Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts        197 

which  they  are  built.  To  obtain  both  the  poles  and  the 
thatch,  several  canoe  trips  must  be  made  across  the 
river  where  the  material  grows.  The  men  procure  these 
materials  whenever  they  take  a  notion  and  when  they 
can  persuade  several  friends  to  assist.  Then  the  women 
must  plait  the  bamboo  leaves  or  grass  into  a  kind  of 
mat.  These  are  tied  to  rattan  poles  running  parallel 
with  the  ridge-poles.  These  overlap  each  other  like 
shingles,  and  the  whole  is  covered  with  a  bamboo  mat 
over  the  ridge,  to  keep  it  all  in  place  in  time  of  wind 
and  storm.  These  houses  usually  have  two  doors,  one 
front  and  one  back.  These  are  about  two  feet  high 
and  eighteen  inches  wide,  with  a  high  door-sill.  It 
requires  much  practice  to  enter  one  of  these  doors 
gracefully,  without  precipitating  oneself  unexpectedly 
into  the  open  fire  or  sprawling  on  the  earth  floor.  The 
occupants  run  back  and  forth  through  these  doors  with 
ease.  It  looks  like  a  very  simple  thing  to  do.  It  is 
not  so  easy.  After  repeated  failures  it  will  be  found 
that  the  only  way  is  to  put  one  foot  over  the  sill,  then 
quickly  bend  together  like  a  jack-knife,  dart  through, 
and  pull  the  other  foot  in  after  you.  Care  must  be 
taken  not  to  unbend  too  quickly,  or  one's  indispensable 
tropical  helmet  wUl  be  crushed  by  coming  too  abruptly 
in  contact  with  the  rafters  overhead.  To  stand  in  these 
huts  one  must  assume  the  "straight  front,  forward 
poise;"  to  sit,  the  conventional  squat  is  desirable.  The 
doors  afford  the  only  opportunity  for  the  entrance  of 
light  and  the  exit  of  smoke,  save  what  may  enter  or 
escape  between  the  chinks  in  roof  or  wall.  There  may 
be  a  tiny  room  partitioned  off  at  one  end,  where  any 
valuables  or  extra  provisions  are  stored.    Another,  style 


198  Bolenge 

of  architecture  has  an  open  living-room  at  one  end. 
Here  the  people  visit,  eat,  and  talk  their  palavers. 

A  chief  or  head  of  a  family  is  supposed  to  provide 
a  house  for  each  of  his  wives,  but  as  they  accumulate 
it  proves  too  great  an  effort,  and  several  must  occupy 
one  house.  This  naturally  occasions  much  quarreling 
and  jealousy.  The  furnishings  of  these  abodes  are  very 
simple.  A  low  bamboo  pallet — sometimes  two  or  three 
— stands  against  the  wall.  These  are  raised  a  few 
inches  from  the  ground  and  are  quite  comfortable.  A 
grass  mat  and  a  wooden  pillow  constitute  the  bedding. 
In  one  corner  of  the  house  a  hanging  shelf  is  suspended, 
upon  which  the  pottery  is  placed  and  fish  and  meat  are 
dried,  a  fire  being  kept  smoldering  beneath  it.  A  stool 
or  two,  each  carved  from  a  solid  piece  of  wood,  may 
stand  near  the  fire.  For  the  most  part,  however,  they 
sit  on  the  bed  or  on  bits  of  firewood  when  inside  the 
house.  A  fire  is  built  in  the  center  of  the  room  because 
of  the  damp  chill  of  the  nights,  but  most  of  the  food 
is  cooked  out  of  doors.  The  houses  are  so  tiny  that 
children  and  grown  people  are  often  badly  burned  by 
rolling  into  the  fire  when  asleep. 

The  native  village  in  our  section  of  Congo  is  one 
long  street,  the  houses  being  built  on  both  sides  facing 
each  other.  There  may  be  several  sections  of  a  village, 
separated  by  spaces  overgrown  with  weeds,  or  a  small 
bog.  Originally  all  the  inhabitants  of  a  village  were 
related,  and  never  intermarried.  The  oldest  chief 
would  be  the  supreme  authority,  and  to  him  all  ques- 
tions would  be  referred.  Their  laws  are  transmitted 
orally;  the  sum  of  precedents  is  usually  well  estab- 
lished and  suited  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 


A  native  hut. 


One  of  the  little  chapels  built  by  the  natives  themselves  in 
one  of  the  distant  out-stations. 


Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts        199 

intended,  though  the  purpose  might  not  always  be  the 
best.  These  laws  mostly  relate  to  polygamy,  with  its 
many  complications,  though  some  have  reference  to  vice 
and  crime.  A  child  is  taught  to  steal,  but  punished 
severely  if  caught.  It  is  not  necessary  even  for  the 
offender  in  a  case  to  be  sought  out,  tlie  family  or  sec- 
tion of  a  village  to  which  the  guilty  party  belongs  as- 
suming the  responsibility  and  paying  the  fine  exacted. 
If  a  woman  runs  away  to  some  man  in  another  village, 
the  man  to  whom  she  has  gone  is  not  considered  in 
the  attending  trouble,  but  the  whole  village  which  has 
harbored  her.  Most  intertribal  wars  have  this  insig- 
nificant beginning,  and  may  be  carried  on  indefinitely, 
many  lives  being  lost  on  both  sides  in  consequence. 
The  law  of  succession  of  property  is  hereditary,  but  not 
from  father  to  son,  because  of  their  lax  system  of  po- 
lygamy. A  man  can  not  be  sure  of  his  own  legitimate 
offspring,  but  claims  all  children  born  by  his  wives 
and  slaves  as  his.  The  only  certain  relationship  is  that 
of  the  mother;  hence  the  inheritance  passes,  where  pos- 
sible, from  brother  to  brother.  In  this  way  a  man's 
sister  might  receive  more  inheritance  than  a  daughter, 
and  should  there  be  no  younger  brother,  she  would  be- 
come a  chief  or  head  woman.  Such  cases,  however,  are 
rare. 

Every  custom  and  law  seems  indissolubly  linked 
with  polygamy.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of 
wives  a  man  may  have,  provided  he  can  find  them  and 
produce  the  means  to  buy  them.  A  man's  prominence 
and  authority  in  the  village  and  community  is  esti- 
mated by  the  size  of  his  harem. 

The  strifes,  jealousies,  and  real  degradation  which 


200  Bolenge 

are  an  outgrowth  of  this  system  can  not  be  written. 
It  might  seem  that  a  custom  so  manifestly  evil  would 
be  easy  to  uproot,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  The  break- 
ing up  of  this  system  causes  a  complete  upheaval  in 
their  whole  life  and  customs.  When  one  such  man  or 
woman  decides  to  become  a  Christian  it  is  a  matter  of 
great  moment,  requiring  the  renunciation  of  all  that 
had  before  meant  life  and  the  severing  of  every  tie 
binding  them  to  the  past. 

Under  the  baneful  influence  of  polygamy  there  can 
be  little  pure,  mutual  affection.  A  polygamous  hus- 
band is  truly  henpecked,  for  he  must  exercise  great  tact 
to  keep  all  his  wives  in  good  humor  and  make  them 
think  he  loves  them  all  equally.  When  he  gets  out  of 
humor  with  them,  or  they  with  him,  he  refuses  to  eat 
until  they  have  all  clubbed  together  and  brought  him 
a  peace-offering.  It  is  convenient  when  he  is  in  debt 
to  have  one  of  these  sulky  spells. 

It  is  an  amusing  spectacle  to  see  the  husband  of 
many  wives  come  to  buy  a  mirror,  a  belt,  or  a  dish, 
and  his  manner  of  deciding  to  which  one  he  shall  give 
it.  He  knows  it  is  funny,  and  laughs  the  hardest  of 
all  while  trying  to  conjure  up  some  new  way  to  avoid 
showing  partiality.  Usually,  if  unaccompanied  by  any 
of  his  wives,  he  hides  it  in  his  shoulder-bag  and  lets 
chance  decide.  When  he  goes  home,  the  first  one  who 
runs  to  meet  him  and  investigate  his  purchases  will 
claim  whatever  she  likes  best,  and  he  will  put  on  an 
air  of  resignation.  If,  however,  one  accompanies  him, 
to  carry  the  necessary  currency,  eggs,  chickens,  or  a 
duck,  she  is  the  one,  of  course,  who  proudly  wears  the 
new  European  belt  home  or  who  makes  her  toilet  with 


Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts        201 

the  aid  of  the  new  mirror.  Thus  life  is  made  miserable 
for.  the  unfortunate  husband  until  hens  and  ducks  are 
sacrificed  to  procure  the  rest  a  belt  also.  Many  such 
incidents  afford  rich  amusement  for  the  populace,  but 
the  sequel  is  pathetic. 

As  long  as  health  and  strength  remain  all  goes  as 
well  as  could  be  expected  in  a  heathen  household,  but 
let  sickness  or  disease  attack  a  woman,  and  then  is 
her  life  not  worth  the  living. 

The  heathen  women  do  all  the  drudgery — cultivate 
the  fields,  carry  all  the  burdens,  and  keep  the  house. 
With  a  short,  broad-bladed  knife  they  clear  away  the 
brush,  plow,  cultivate  and  harvest  their  gardens,  the 
men  only  assisting  in  felling  any  large  trees.  Some 
of  the  women  are  also  fortunate  enough  to  possess  a 
rude  hoe  with  a  handle  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long. 
These  take  the  place  of  horse  and  machinery.  "When 
the  garden  is  harvested  the  husband  or  master  de- 
mands the  proceeds,  with  which  to  pay  his  debts  or 
buy  a  new  wife.  Their  main  crops  are  plantains,  corn, 
and  cassava;  though  sweet  potatoes,  peanuts,  squashes, 
and  a  few  other  vegetables  are  grown  in  small  quan- 
tities. 

A  woman  goes  to  her  garden  early  in  the  morning 
and  comes  home  with  a  basketful  of  cassava  roots  or 
corn,  or  with  a  huge  bundle  of  firewood  strapped  on 
her  back.  She  may  often  be  carrying  a  child  astride 
her  hip  as  well. 

The  preparation  of  their  food  is  a  long,  tedious 
process;  so  they  have  but  one  good  meal  a  day,  and 
that  at  sundown.  The  wives  take  turns  in  serving 
the  husband's  food.    When  ready,  the  one  having  pre- 


202  Bolenge 

pared  it  takes  it  to  him,  and  he  calls  any  male  friends 
or  relatives  who  may  be  there  or  passing  by  to  come 
and  eat  with  him.  The  wives  eat  together  after  the 
husband  has  eaten,  or  go  and  eat  with  some  other 
woman  across  the  street.  The  children  eat  whatever 
may  be  left,  though  a  good  mother  divides  to  them 
a  separate  portion.  A  child  soon  learns  to  cook  for 
himself  or  herself,  otherwise  he  does  not  get  enough 
to  eat.  The  women  are  usually  fine  cooks  and  very 
neat  in  their  cooking,  as  each  tries  to  outrival  the 
others  in  preparing  the  food  for  the  husband. 

The  Nkundo  people  are  in  their  way  hospitable, 
and  will  share  their  meager  meal  with  any  number. 
At  the  same  time  the  sick  and  aged  and  sickly  chil- 
dren may  shift  for  themselves.  The  grace  of  hospi- 
tality is  developed  in  our  Christians  to  a  wonderful 
degree.  When  the  hosts  of  strangers  come  in  to  spend 
a  week  or  two  and  hear  the  preaching,  the  few  resi- 
dent members  take  them  all  in  and  provide  for  them, 
with  such  unsolicited  assistance  as  the  missionaries 
provide.  The  sick  from  neighboring  and  far-distant 
villages  are  received  into  their  homes  when  the  little 
hospital  overflows,  and  gladly  cared  for. 

The  women  manufacture  all  the  pottery,  though 
this  art  is  confined  to  certain  tribes.  In  this  they  are 
exceedingly  clever  and  can  imitate  easily  any  Euro- 
pean bottle  or  jug.  They  are  the  basket-makers  as 
well,  and  in  this  show  good  taste  and  much  skill.  They 
weave  mats,  though  the  men  also  do  this. 

The  men  are  specialists  in  some  crafts  and  indus- 
tries. Some  of  them  are  expert  blacksmiths,  and  the 
knives,   spears,   arrows,   and   brass   ornaments   turned 


Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts        203 

out  cause  no  little  surprise.  Their  -workmanship  is 
wonderfully  clever,  and  experts  in  America  have  mar- 
veled at  it,  considering  the  crude  instruments  with 
which  they  work.  Their  anvil  is  a  block  of  iron  sharp- 
ened and  driven  into  the  ground.  The  hammer  is  an- 
other massive  piece  of  shaped  iron.  Their  forge  is 
the  open  fire,  blown  by  a  bellows  hewn  out  of  a  block 
of  wood.  This  has  two  holes  in  the  top,  covered  with 
tanned  hide,  and  provided  with  handles,  which  are 
pumped  up  and  down  and  produce  the  required  draft. 
Brass  is  run  into  hollow  reeds  to  mold  it  for  the  spiral 
bracelets  and  anklets.  Most  of  the  knives  and  war 
implements  and  jewelry  are  ornamented  with  carvings, 
faces  decorating  their  battle-axes. 

The  woodcarver  or  hewer  stands  next  to  the  black- 
smith in  skill,  but  he  is  becoming  a  rarity.  These 
artisans  hew  canoes  out  of  trees.  They  also  make  pad- 
dles, many  varieties  of  stools,  and  chieftains'  seats, 
head  rests,  spoons,  and  handles  for  all  their  imple- 
ments. Such  a  man  is  in  great  demand,  and  could 
soon  become  rich  if  he  chose.  However,  he  does  not 
care  to  work  all  the  time,  ease  and  leisure  being  more 
to  his  liking. 

As  the  men  do  the  sewing,  so  also  do  they  do  the 
weaving  of  raffia  cloth.  This  art,  too,  is  falling  into 
decay  as  European  cloth  takes  its  place.  The  native 
is  a  good  reader  of  men  and  things,  and  already  ex- 
orbitant prices  are  asked  for  this  native  cloth,  which 
could  be  procured  a  short  while  ago  for  a  few  brass 
rods.  It  will  be  but  a  few  years  before  the  Congo 
curios  will  be  as  rare  as  those  of  the  American  Indian 
and  far  more  valuable. 


204  Bolenge 

This  raffia  cloth  is  woven  in  a  loom  and  with  a 
shuttle.  The  weaver  puts  in  many  intricate  patterns, 
marked  only  by  bits  of  bamboo.  No  patterns  are  ever 
drawn  or  threads  counted,  yet  the  designs  are  very 
symmetrical,  and  each  has  a  history. 

Besides  the  weaver  of  cloth  is  the  maker  of  shields. 
These  marvelous  pieces  of  weaving  show  great  artistic 
talent,  intricate  geometrical  patterns  being  woven  in 
with  strands  of  dyed  rattan.  The  whole  is  securely 
bound  together,  and  is  so  tight  and  strong  and  closely 
woven  as  to  turn  any  spear  or  arrow  hurled  against  it. 

These  skilled  artisans  are  not  numerous,  and  the 
ordinary  man  spends  his  time  in  hunting  and  fishing. 
for  both  of  which  he  uses  large  nets.  As  already  men- 
tioned, the  complicated  law-suits  and  endless  palavers 
consume  much  time,  which  to  us  would  seem  wasted. 
In  their  own  home  village  they  seem  quiet,  but  when 
aroused  can  be  extremely  wild  and  fierce  as  in  the  ex- 
citement of  war.  Though  quick  to  take  offense,  they 
are  as  quick  to  forget.  They  are  proverbially  polite, 
their  rules  of  etiquette  being  well  observed,  and  defer- 
ential respect  is  always  shown  to  a  chief.  They  are 
quick  to  discern  between  justice  and  injustice,  and  gra- 
ciously submit  to  any  deserved  punishment.  They  are 
naturally  light-hearted,  delighting  in  the  song  and  the 
dance,  and  never  worry  about  to-morrow.  They  are 
on  this  account  improvident,  but  if  they  are  obliged 
to  fast  for  days,  they  feel  they  will  surely  feast  some 
day  and  make  up  for  it,  as  they  always  do.  They  are 
self-respecting,  often  haughty  and  arrogant,  but  quick- 
witted and  intelligent.  Though  cheerful  and  quick  to 
see  a  joke,  they  do  not  often  joke,  because  of  their  ten- 


Native  Home  Life  and  Crafts        205 

dency  to  take  offense  and  get  into  a  fight  with  the 
would-be  jester.  The  end  of  this  proves  to  be  any- 
thing but  a  joke.  Bolenge  has  one  born  clown,  who 
provides  amusement  for  the  whole  populace,  because 
he  is  well  known,  and  none  consider  seriously  anything 
he  says  or  does.  When  Bakonzo  goes  to  another  village 
and  begins  to  cut  up  his  capers  as  at  home,  he  is  al- 
ways considered  a  lunatic,  and  strangers  run  away 
from  him,  to  his  great  amusement  and  satisfaction. 
It  was  never  thought  that  he  would  become  a  Chris- 
tian, but  he  did,  and  was  in  earnest  for  once  in  his  life. 


APPENDIX 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  1909,  twenty-six  mis- 
sionaries will  have  been  connected  with  our  African 
mission  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period. 

In  the  iate  fall  of  1896,  E.  E.  Faris,  son  of  G.  A. 
Faris,  of  Texas,  was  appointed  to  open  that  work.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Add-Ran  University.  He  had 
wanted  to  go  to  Japan,  but  consented  to  be  the  pio- 
neer to  Africa.  He  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Harry 
Nicholas  Biddle.  Dr.  Biddle  was  born  January  17, 
1872,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Before  entering  high 
school  it  had  been  his  boyhood  plan  to  become  a  mis- 
sionary. To  this  end  he  completed  his  high  school 
course  and  entered  a  medical  college,  graduating  in  the 
spring  of  1896.  He  volunteered  for  Africa,  but  the 
board  not  being  ready  to  accept  him  then,  he  went 
into  the  practice  of  medicine.  This  he  soon  left  to 
take  post-graduate  work  in  medicine.  In  November 
of  that  same  year  he  received  his  appointment.  In  a 
letter  home  he  said,  "God  willing,  I  shall  yet  see 
Africa."  A.  McLean,  in  sending  him  notice  of  his 
appointment,  said:  "I  congratulate  you  upon  this  ap- 
pointment. It  is  a  reward  of  your  fidelity  and  devo- 
tion." Before  leaving  America,  Dr.  Biddle  was  mar- 
ried, February  30,  1897,  to  Edith  M.  Sparks,  whom  he 
14  209 


210  Appendix 

left  in  America  to  await  the  selection  of  a  home  in 
Africa.  From  shipboard,  March  4,  1897,  he  wrote: 
"Even  if  I  should  fall,  God  forbid  that  any  one  should 
grieve.  It  would  only  make  our  separation  a  trifle 
longer." 

These  two,  Dr.  Biddle  and  Mr.  Paris,  proceeded  to 
the  Congo.  The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union 
had  already  offered  to  turn  over  one  or  more  of  their 
stations,  but  it  was  thought  advisable  before  accepting 
this  offer  to  search  for  some  unoccupied  territory. 
For  this  reason  these  two  missionaries  traveled  over 
much  of  the  accessible  country,  but  a  location  would 
not  be  granted  them  anywhere.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  year  Dr.  Biddle  wrote  to  his  brother,  saying: 
"Day  after  to-morrow  will  be  one  year  from  the  time 
of  our  leaving  home.  It  does  not  seem  that  I  have 
accomplished  as  much  as  I  set  out  to  in  that  time,  but 
I  am  sticking  to  it.  During  this  year  I  have  traveled 
some  thousands  of  miles,  been  exposed  to  some  ap- 
parent dangers,  and  I  doubt  not,  to  many  unseen 
ones,  but  the  good  Lord  has  kept  me  secure  from  them 
all.  I  should  have  been  tortured  with  suspense  had 
I  not  had  faith  in  my  Lord  and  Master." 

Dr.  Biddle  and  Mr.  Faris  had  many  slight  fevers, 
which  seemed  to  weaken  the  doctor  very  much.  Re- 
peated attacks  of  dysentery  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  return  home  immediately.  He  was  put  on  board 
the  Antwerp  steamer  September  23,  1897,  at  Matadi, 
having  made  the  railway  journey  alone  save  for  a 
native  boy.  The  first  night  whUe  at  Tumba  his  mind 
was  wandering.  On  board  the  steamer  he  grew  rap- 
idlv  worse,  and   October   6th  he  was  taken  into  the 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   211 

English  hospital  at  Las  Palmas,  Grand  Canary  Island, 
very  ill,  and  two  days  later  he  passed  away  among 
strangers,  but  tenderly  cared  for.  They  buried  him 
in  a  beautiful  cemetery  beneath  the  flowers  and  palms. 
A  message  from  the  hospital  said:  "He  was  quite  con- 
tented and  never  murmured,  and  I  must  say  I  never 
saw  such  a  peaceful  death  in  my  life."  Dr.  Biddle 
was  "called  thus  early  from  the  heart  of  the  Dark 
Continent  to  the  radiant  light  of  the  Eternal  City." 

It  having  now  been  proved  that  a  station  in  new 
territory  was  an  impossibility,  and  one  life  having 
been  laid  down  in  consequence,  negotiations  were  begun 
with  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  looking 
toward  the  purchase  of  one  of  their  stations.  While 
these  arrangements  were  being  completed  Mr.  Faris, 
now  alone,  remained  at  Stanley  Pool,  occupying  his 
time  by  studying  French,  which  is  the  Government 
language.  In  1899  he  left  for  Bolenge,  arriving  there 
in  March,  and  was  kindly  received  by  the  former  mis- 
sionaries who  were  still  there. 

Four  years  before  this  a  young  man  from  Ionia, 
Michigan,  had  gone  to  New  York  City  to  prepare  him- 
self for  a  medical  missionary.  Two  years  later  a  young 
woman  entered  the  Missionary  Training  School  in 
Brooklyn,  to  prepare  also  for  missionary  work.  These 
two  had  consecrated  their  lives  to  the  evangelization 
of  the  world.  They  desired  to  go  where  the  need  was 
greatest,  and  where  others  were  least  willing  to  go. 
Their  eyes  had  been  turned  toward  Africa.  On 
Thanksgiving  Day,  1898,  the  young  man,  Eoyal  J. 
Dye,  was  riding  on  a  street  car  in  New  York  City,  on 
his  way  to  prayer-meeting,  when  he  heard  two  ladies 


212  Appendix 

discussing  the  news  of  tlie  sad  and  sudden  death  of 
Dr.  H.  N.  Biddle,  which  had  been  received  by  cable 
that  day.  This  was  a  call  to  service.  He  volunteered 
and  was  accepted  in  December.  He  and  the  young 
woman  in  Brooklyn,  Eva  Nichols,  were  natives  of 
Ionia,  Michigan,  and  thither  they  returned  to  be  mar- 
ried, January  16th,  leaving  home  the  next  day  for 
Africa.  They  arrived  at  Bolenge  April  17,  1889,  and 
joined  Mr.  Farig.  Mr,  Faris  spent  his  time  studying 
the  language  so  as  to  begin  preaching,  and  at  the 
same  time  opened  the  day  school.  Dr.  Dye  began  the 
medical  work  and  took  charge  of  the  manual  labor  of 
the  station.  There  was  much  of  this  latter  needing 
to  be  done.  His  wife  kept  house,  training  bush  boys 
to  do  the  work,  and  also  teaching  about  thirty  or  forty 
raw  heathen  lads  to  sew  and  make  themselves  clothes. 
The  work  was  carried  on  eighteen  months  through 
many  vicissitudes,  discouragements,  disappointments, 
vexations,  sorrows,  wants,  sickness,  and  fevers,  in  all 
of  which  the  workers  were  kept  up  by  the  power  of 
God. 

Meanwhile,  in  1897,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  T.  Lea 
had  gone  out  to  Angola  under  the  Philafrican  Lib- 
erators' League.  He  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  but 
converted  in  the  city  of  Washington,  where  he  had 
been  baptized  by  F.  D.  Power.  Mrs.  Lea  was  born 
in  France,  but  her  home  for  many  years  had  been  in 
Grand  Eapids,  Mich.  Both  were  graduates  of  Bethany 
College,  and  had  instituted  and  conducted  a  successful 
mission  in  the  slums  of  New  York  City.  While  in 
college  Dr.  Dye  had  been  associated  with  them  in  that 
work.    The  Leas  found  themselves  under  such  restric- 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge  213 

tions  in  Angola  that  they  resigned  their  connection 
with  the  League  and  began  an  independent  work.  The 
Vermont  Avenue  Church,  Washington,  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  desired  to  support  them  and  asked  the 
Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society  to  take  up  their 
work. 

In  October,  1900,  Mr.  Paris  was  ordered  to  visit 
their  work  in  Angola  on  his  way  home  for  his  first 
furlough.  It  was  thought  if  Angola  afforded  better 
opportunity  for  aggressive  mission  work  than  Bolenge, 
the  workers  would  unite  there;  but  if  not,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lea  were  to  join  the  forces  on  the  Congo.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Dye  and  their  baby  daughter,  Polly,  were 
left  alone  at  Bolenge.  Little  Polly,  the  pioneer  baby 
in  the  mission,  had  been  born  November  3,  1899.  She 
was  called  Okuke  for  the  mother  of  old  Bonkanza,  M^ho 
had  been  noted  for  her  remarkable  kindness  of  heart 
and  generosity.  For  eight  months  these  workers  were 
alone,  doing  what  they  could.  These  were  days  of 
suspense,  for  no  news  came  of  the  decision  of  Mr.  Paris 
and  Mr.  Lea  as  to  the  possible  change  of  situation 
until  a  letter  was  received,  saying  the  Leas  were  on 
the  way  to  Bolenge.  Suspense  was  then  turned  into 
joyful  anticipation. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lea  and  baby,  Isabelle,  arrived  at 
Bolenge,  May  19,  1901,  after  having  been  four  years 
in  Angola.  Little  Isabelle  was  the  first  baby  ever 
brought  into  the  Congo  Pree  State  from  outside. 
Words  can  not  express  the  joy  of  this  reunion.  Okuke 
had  never  seen  a  little  white  girl  before,  and  imme- 
diately appropriated  her,  being  offended  if  her  own 
mother  took  her.     Mr.  Lea  began  the  industrial  work 


214  Appendix 

and  Mrs.  Lea  a  class  in  sewing.  However,  the  trials 
and  privations  of  the  four  years  in  Angola,  where 
they  had  lost  a  little  boy,  the  terrible  trip  across 
country  to  the  coast,  and  the  inhospitable  climate  of 
the  Congo  had  undermined  Mrs.  Lea's  health,  so  it 
was  doubtful  whether  or  not  she  could  remain. 

In  December,  1899,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwin  A.  Lay- 
ton,  of  Chicago,  received  their  appointment  to  Africa. 
He  was  taking  a  medical  course ;  at  the  same  time  Mrs. 
Layton  was  a  teacher  in  the  city  schools.  It  had  been 
their  prayer  for  many  years  to  go  to  the  mission  field. 
Dr.  Layton  completed  his  medical  course,  and  they 
started  on  the  day  of  graduation  for  Congo.  They 
reached  Bolenge  August  29,  1901.  A  month  later  it 
was  the  opinion  of  both  doctors  that  Mrs.  Lea  should 
return  home.  She  was  suffering  from  nervous  pros- 
tration and  failing  rapidly.  During  those  few  months 
they  had  endeared  themselves  to  the  natives  as  well 
as  the  missionaries,  and  though  they  have  never  been 
able  to  return,  their  influence  still  lives ;  they  will  never 
be  forgotten.  So  after  only  four  months'  association  in 
the  work  at  Bolenge  they  were  compelled  to  go.  Mrs. 
Lea  has  never  recovered  her  health,  but  they  have 
always,  in  every  way,  exerted  their  influence  to  help 
the  work  they  so  reluctantly  resigned.  They  have 
always  provided  the  support  of  an  orphan  boy  to 
whom  they  were  attached.  They  now  live  in  Los  An- 
geles, California. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Layton  were  eminently  capable  people 
and  well  qualified  for  mission  work  in  Congo.  They 
entered  immediately  into  it  and  studied  the  language 
diligently.     Mrs.  Layton  was  splendidly  qualified  for 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge  215 

the  school  work,  which  she  soon  raised  by  most  ad- 
vanced methods  to  a  much  higher  standard.  Dr.  Lay- 
ton  assisted  in  the  medical  and  surgical  work,  but  took 
advantage  of  every  moment  to  work  on  the  language, 
as  they  were  soon  to  be  left  alone. 

No  visible  fruits  of  these  years  of  toil  could  be 
seen  save  the  little  prayer-meeting  instituted  by  Jo- 
seph, which  was  most  spontaneous  in  its  character. 
Before  the  departure  of  the  Dyes  for  home  on  furlough, 
ten  boys  came,  bringing  their  names  on  a  slip  of 
paper,  with  the  request  that  the  white  people  in  Amer- 
ica pray  for  them.  In  February,  1902,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Dye  and  Polly  left  for  America,  leaving  the  Laytons 
alone,  after  but  five  months  on  the  station.  It  was 
eight  months  before  they  received  reinforcements 
except  for  one  of  "divine  appointment,"  a  baby  daugh- 
ter, Evelyn  Azalia,  born  June  24,  1902.  Another  baby 
joined  the  mission  force  that  year — Eva  Dorcas  Dye, 
born  in  Ionia,  Mich.,  August  30th.  These  eight 
months  saw  the  wonderful  development  in  interest,  not 
only  in  that  little  prayer-meeting,  but  also  in  the 
country  round  about.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Layton  did  the 
best  they  could  to  foster  this  spirit,  and  with  remark- 
able success  considering  their  short  acquaintance  with 
the  language.  He  also  began  a  slip  system  of  arrang- 
ing words  for  a  Lonkundo  vocabulary.  Mr.  Faris  re- 
turned to  the  Congo,  accompanied  by  his  young  wife, 
arriving  at  Bolenge  October  2,  1902.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eldred,  a  newly  appointed  couple,  also  were  of  the 
same  party.  Mrs.  Faris  had  been  Miss  Bessie  Holman, 
also  of  Texas,  and  a  talented  young  woman.  Mrs. 
Faris   helped   in   the    school   and   took   charge   of   a 


216  Appendix 

women's  weekly  meeting.  Mr.  Eldred  is  a  native  of 
Michigan,  while  his  wife  was  from  Indiana.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  Kentucky  University,  being  also  well 
equipped  to  take  charge  of  the  Industrial  Department, 
which  was  greatly  enlarged  under  his  careful  supervi- 
sion. He  found  ample  scope  for  all  his  talents.  A 
series  of  protracted  meetings  were  held  by  Mr.  Faris 
and  Dr.  Layton,  after  which  the  first  baptisms  were 
witnessed  in  November,  1902,  and  in  March  following, 
the  church  was  organized  with  twenty-four  charter 
members. 

In  September  of  that  year  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Layton 
left  for  home,  having  little  hope  of  their  baby's  life. 
The  Congo  climate  is  well  nigh  impossible  for  white 
children.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dye  were  on  their  way  back, 
having  consigned  their  two  little  girls  to  the  care  of 
Mrs.  Amanda  Preston,  a  foster  sister  of  Mrs.  Dye. 
They  had  stopped  in  London,  where  Dr.  Dye  was  at- 
tending for  a  short  period  the  London  School  of  Trop- 
ical Medicine.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Layton  met  them  there, 
where  for  a  few  days  they  enjoyed  congenial  fellow- 
ship. Little  Lita,  as  the  natives  had  called  Evelyn, 
was  some  stronger,  though  for  days  after  leaving  the 
Congo  her  life  was  despaired  of.  Then  these  workers 
separated,  the  Laytons  proceeding  to  America  and  the 
Dyes  to  the  Congo.  They  were  destined  never  again 
to  be  associated,  for  later  that  same  year  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Layton  were  transferred  to  China,  where  they  are 
still  laboring.  Their  transfer  was  China's  gain,  but 
Congo's  loss.  Their  leaving  is  still  deeply  regretted 
by  natives  and  missionaries  of  all  societies,  by  all  of 
whom  they  are  held  in  high  esteem. 


OUR  WORKERS 


Dr.   Royal  J.   Dye.        Mrs.   Royal  J.   Dye.  Chas.   P.   Hedges. 


R.    Ray    Eldred.  J\lrs.  R.  Ray  Eldred.    Dr. W.C. Widdowson. 


A.  F.  Hensey.  Mrs.  A.  F.  Hensey.  Miss  Edna  Eck. 


ON  THIi  CONGO. 


Dr.  L.  F.  Jaggard.        Mrs.  L.  F.  Jaggard.  Herbert  Smith. 


E.  R.  Moon.  Mrs.  E.  R.  Mc 


R    S.  Wilson.  Mrs.  R.  S.  Wilson.       Mrs.  Herbert  Smith. 


Dr.  H.  N.  Biddle.  Miss  Ella  Ewing. 

Who  gave  their  lives  for  Africa. 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   217 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dye  were  accompanied  by  Dr.  Dye's 
father  on  their  return  to  Africa.  The  father  was  alone 
in  the  world,  save  for  his  only  son,  and  decided  to  go 
with  him  to  his  African  home  rather  than  live  alone 
in  America.  After  a  pleasant  voyage  out  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Alfred  Stonelake,  of  the  Baptist  Missionary- 
Society,  they  reached  their  little  home  at  Bolenge  in 
February,  1904.  During  their  absence  many  changes 
and  a  rapid  advance  in  all  the  work  had  been  made. 
They  soon  found  plenty  to  do.  In  May  a  son  was  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faris,  and  in  July  they  left  for  home, 
subsequently  withdrawing  from  the  work  and  remain- 
ing in  America.  At  present  they  reside  in  Waco, 
Texas,  where  Mr.  Faris  is  teaching  in  Texas  Chris- 
tian University.  Thus  in  one  year  two  families  were 
lost  to  the  Congo.  During  his  seven  A'ears'  service  Mr. 
Faris  made  some  valuable  notes,  which  assisted  in  the 
later  completion  of  the  grammar.  He  also  translated 
the  Gospel  of  Mark,  a  leaflet  of  stories  of  the  life  of 
Christ  for  the  school,  and  collected  a  large  number  of 
native  proverbs,  which  were  also  printed. 

For  fifteen  months  the  work  made  steady  progress 
under  the  combined  oversight  of  Dr.  Dye  and  Mr. 
Eldred.  On  June  23,  1904,  little  E.  Eay  Eldred,  Jr., 
joined  the  force,  and  his  companionship  became  a 
source  of  happiness  to  all.  In  February,  1904,  Mr. 
Dye,  Dr.  Dye's  father,  went  for  a  trip  to  Stanley  Falls 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stonelake,  the  friends  with  whom 
he  had  traveled  from  England  to  Congo.  He  had  thus 
far  stood  the  climate  fairly  well,  and  enjoyed  the  trip 
to  the  falls.  He  never  became  tired  of  telling  how  he 
appreciated  the  kindness  and  courtesy  shown  him  every- 


218  Appendix 

where  by  the  missionaries  of  other  societies.  Just  one 
day  before  reaching  home  he  fell  ill  with  fever.  These 
friends  traveled  night  and  day  to  bring  him  home. 
They  felt  it  was  a  serious  matter  at  his  time  of  life,  he 
being  nearly  sixty-five  years  of  age.  They  arrived  at 
9.30  P.  M.,  March  12th,  and  the  sound  of  the  steamer 
whistle  brought  dark  forebodings  to  every  heart,  for 
except  in  great  emergency  steamers  never  travel  by 
night  on  the  Congo.  He  was  carried  to  the  house  in  a 
hammock.  After  but  three  short  days  he  passed  away. 
He  had  been  ideally  happy  with  his  children  there,  and 
had  taken  unusual  interest  in  all  the  mission  work. 
He  was  known  as  Nkoko,  grandfather,  to  all  the 
country  round.  Crowds  of  people  came  to  see  the 
father  of  Dr.  Dye,  the  grandfather  of  their  own  little 
white  spirit  Okuki  (Polly)  whom  they  never  forgot. 
His  age  and  life  recommended  Christianity  to  the  old 
people,  to  whom  he  always  showed  the  greatest  defer- 
ence and  consideration.  Thus  his  short  life  in  their 
midst  bore  fruit  which  shall  remain.  He  rests  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  palms,  his  spirit  having  entered  unto 
more  abundant  life  on  the  sixty-fifth  anniversary  of  his 
birth. 

On  August  22,  1905,  a  second  son,  Philip  Ward, 
was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eldred,  and  the  next  month 
they  left  for  a  much-needed  rest  in  America.  Once 
more  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dye  were  unavoidably  left  alone, 
and  three  months  later  Mrs.  Dye's  life  was  despaired 
of.  For  more  than  a  year  little  hope  was  entertained 
for  her  recovery.  While  thus  alone  and  unable  to 
attend  to  the  station  or  church  work,  the  little  band  of 
Christians  proved  faithful.     They  grew  in  grace,  their 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   219 

faith  being  strengthened  as  they  prayed  without  ceas- 
ing for  the  recovery  of  the  mission  mother.  They 
believed  the  answer  would  be  given.  It  was  a,  furnace 
of  affliction,  out  of  which  they  came  refined  as  pure 
gold. 

While  anxiously  awaiting  reinforcements  from 
America,  God  sent  help  from  a  most  unexpected  quar- 
ter. About  two  years  before,  Eben  Creighton,  a  pastor 
at  Newberg  on  the  Hudson,  had  thought  much  of  Af- 
rica's unredeemed  peoples.  After  the  death  of  his  wife 
and  only  child  he  went  to  England,  and  thence  to 
South  Africa.  After  a  few  months  spent  there  he  took 
ship  for  Uganda,  in  East  Central  Africa,  where  he 
spent  some  time,  everywhere  bringing  a  new  spirit 
into  the  churches.  From  there  he  traveled  two  months 
through  the  great  pygmy  forests,  arriving  at  Stanley 
Falls  on  Christmas,  1905,  after  a  journey  attended  by 
perils,  privations,  and  dangerous  fevers.  There  he 
heard  for  the  first  time  of  the  American  mission  at 
Bolenge,  and  decided  to  stop  if  possible  on  his  way 
toward  the  Soudan.  This  he  did,  arriving  in  Bolenge 
early  in  January,  where  he  found  he  was  so  much 
needed  that  he  recognized  it  was  the  voice  of  God,  and 
stayed.  His  coming  was  like  a  benediction,  and  the 
native  church  begged  him  to  remain.  Three  weeks 
after  his  arrival,  A.  F.  Hensey  came  from  America. 
He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  receiving  his  first  college  train- 
ing at  Hiram,  afterwards  entering  Kentucky  Univer- 
sity, from  which  he  graduated  as  valedictorian  of  his 
class  in  1905.  He  had  been  for  three  years  a  student 
volunteer,  not  particularly  drawn  to  any  special  field. 
He  would  have  gone  gladly  to  Japan ;  but  when  the  call 


220  Appendix 

came  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe,  he  responded 
just  as  gladly.  He  came  with  a  ministry  of  cheer  to 
that  home  where  the  angel  of  death  seemed  often 
about  to  enter.  During  the  year  that  followed  he  spent 
many  patient  hours  with  the  suffering  invalid,  reading, 
writing.  He  studied  the  language  together  with  Mr. 
Creighton,  and  made  himself  indispensable  to  every 
one.  He  manifested  great  capacity,  and  that  first  year 
laid  the  solid  foundation  for  the  language  work  and 
translations  made  since.  He  has  made  greater  prog- 
ress in  the  language  than  any  other  missionary  during 
his  first  term.  October  of  the  same  year  saw  the 
arrival  of  Dr.  W.  Charles  Widdowson,  of  Pennsylvania. 
By  inheritance  from  grandfather  and  father  he  was  an 
architect  and  carpenter,  in  which  he  had  become  pro- 
ficient. He  learned  electrical  engineering,  and  not 
being  satisfied  to  take  any  of  these  for  his  life  work,  he 
entered  Hiram,  and  later  the  medical  department  of 
Kentucky  University,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
June,  1906.  He  was  led  to  volunteer  for  foreign 
service,  and  left  that  fall  for  Bolenge  to  relieve  Dr. 
Dye  that  he  might  return  home.  Dr.  Widdowson  made 
a  quick  trip,  reaching  Bolenge  October  30,  1906,  where 
a  hearty  welcome  awaited  him.  He  lost  no  time  in 
going  to  work  and  in  studying  the  language.  He 
superintended  the  building  of  the  great  tabernacle,  and 
made  plans  for  a  house  for  single  ladies.  Mr.  Creigh- 
ton had  spent  the  year  itinerating  and  preaching  with 
the  help  of  the  evangelists.  These  trips  told  on  his 
health,  so  he  left  for  home,  meeting  the  new  party  on 
their  way  up  the  Congo  Eiver.  Mr.  Eldred,  accom- 
panied by   Misses  Ella  Ewing  and   Alice  Josephine 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   221 

Ferrin,  reached  Bolenge  February  9,  1907.  Mrs. 
Eldred  remained  in  America  with  their  three  little 
sons,  Joseph  Paul  having  been  born  December  16,  1906. 
Mrs.  Eldred's  enforced  stay  in  America  was  a  great 
renunciation  for  them  both,  and  impossible  save  for  the 
grace  of  God. 

Miss  Alice  Ferrin  was  to  become  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Hensey.  They  had  met  years  before  when  Mr.  Hensey, 
a  student  preacher,  was  holding  evangelistic  service  in 
a  "Western  town.  One  night  a  beautiful  young  girl 
made  the  confession  and  was  baptized.  That  face  was 
ever  before  him,  mingling  with  his  future  plans.  The 
stalwart  young  preacher  had  won  her  heart,  so  with  a 
courage  born  of  love  she  started  out  on  that  ten  thou- 
sand mile  journey  to  unite  with  him  in  their  chosen 
life  work.  Mrs.  Hensey  was  born  in  South  Dakota,  but 
after  her  mother's  death  moved  to  Illiaois.  She  had 
become  proficient  in  several  languages,  so  made  excel- 
lent progress  in  Lonkundo. 

Miss  Ella  Ewing  was  the  first  single  woman  sent 
to  Congo  by  the  Foreign  Christian  Missionary  Society. 
She  was  born  in  Jacksonville,  111.,  February  13,  1883. 
As  a  child  she  was  strong  and  always  the  companion 
of  her  brothers  in  every  sport.  She  was  a  good  student, 
ambitious  and  conscientious  in  all  her  school  work. 
When  a  little  child  she  stood  by  her  mother's  side 
one  day  and  said,  "I  '11  be  a  missionary  when  I  grow 
up."  This  was  the  master  motive  and  purpose  of  her 
life  from  thenceforth.  Her  mother  taught  for  many 
years  in  a  Negro  Sunday-school  where  Ella  accom- 
panied her.  When  but  a  young  girl  she  would  always 
take  her  mother's  class  when  the  mother  was  obliged 


222  Appendix 

to  be  absent.  She  graduated  from  Jacksonville  (111.) 
High  School  in  1902,  and  went  the  same  year  to  Eu- 
reka College,  completing  a  four  years'  course  in  three 
years.  During  these  years  she  learned  every  useful 
accomplishment  possible  to  fit  herself  more  fully  for 
her  chosen  work.  She  never  had  a  wish  for  or  thought 
of  any  other  vocation.  Her  greatest  desire  was  to  go 
to  Africa,  and  when  at  last  she  received  her  appoint- 
ment her  joy  was  beyond  measure.  Her  mother's 
prayer  for  years  had  been  that  the  Christian  world 
might  be  brought  to  realize  the  condition  of  the  black 
race,  and  that  she  might  in  some  way  be  used  to  help. 
Her  prayer  was  answered,  but  in  a  way  she  little 
dreamed  of — by  giving  her  own  daughter  for  their  re- 
demption. 

Miss  Ewing  and  Miss  Ferrin  entered  at  once  into 
the  work  and  study  of  the  language.  The  Dyes  ex- 
pected to  go  home  as  soon  as  the  new  student  arrived, 
but  hindrances  to  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Hensey  and 
Miss  Ferrin  were  made  by  the  Government,  so  the 
Dyes  were  delayed,  "While  assisting  in  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  wedding  in  May,  Miss  Ewing  was  taken 
down  with  fever  and,  despite  all  that  could  be  done 
for  her,  rapidly  failed.  The  marriage  was  set  for  May 
15th,  and  was  quietly  consummated.  Early  on  the 
morning  of  the  17th  Ella  was  called  to  a  heavenly 
service,  aitex  having  been  but  three  months  on  the 
field  of  her  choice.  The  sublimity  of  her  faith  was 
beautiful.  The  few  months  of  her  service  were  the 
happiest  of  her  life;  yet  she  was  willing  to  go.  Soon 
after  her  arrival  she  had  written  home,  saying:  "I  love 
Africa.     I  love  the  people,  and  am  more  glad  every 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   223 

day  that  I  have  been  permitted  to  come  to  Africa." 
Already  her  deep  consecration,  as  her  life  burned  out 
for  Him,  has  led  others  to  go  and  take  up  the  work 
she  laid  down. 

Early  in  July  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dye  left  for  home, 
where  it  was  hoped  Mrs.  Dye  would  regain  health  and 
strength. 

Prospects  were  bright  for  opening  another  station, 
and  a  call  had  been  made  for  a  doctor.  Dr.  L.  F.  Jao-- 
gard  answered  the  call  and  was  accepted.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Annella  Marsh,  of  Des  Moines,  and 
left  for  Bolenge,  arriving  there  July,  1907.  Dr.  Jag- 
gard  was  a  graduate  of  Drake  University,  Iowa,  an 
exceptional  student,  and  well  qualified  for  his  work,  as 
also  was  Mrs.  Jaggard.  They  were  preceded  one  month 
by  Miss  Kathryn  Blackburn,  of  Chicago.  Miss  Black- 
burn is  a  most  consecrated  young  woman,  and  the  hand 
of  God  was  with  her  in  her  going  to  Africa  to  teach  the 
people  of  her  own  race.  She  has  entered  upon  her 
duties  there  with  her  whole  heart,  and  is  doing  a  good 
work. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jaggard  have  gone  with  Mr.  Eldred 
to  open  the  new  station  at  Longa,  one  hundred  miles 
from  Bolenge,  on  the  Bosira.  Mr.  Eldred  has  recently 
had  some  alarming  fevers,  which  have  so  reduced  his 
strength  that  he  has  been  ordered  home  and  is  on  his 
way  at  this  writing.  So  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jaggard  are 
left  alone  at  Longa,  though  reinforcements  will  soon 
be  there. 

In  August,  1907,  Mr.  Charles  P.  Hedges,  of  Ken- 
tucky, sailed  for  Congo,  arriving  there  in  October. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Bethany  College,  West  Virginia, 


224  Appendix 

which  school  and  church  are  supporting  him  on  the 
field.  He  was  a  fine  student.  He  is  a  carpenter  and 
experienced  printer  as  well.  He  is  just  the  kind  of 
man  for  the  Congo,  where  a  variety  of  talent  is  neces- 
sary. 

At  the  Oregon  State  Convention  last  year,  June, 
1908,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  R.  Moon  volunteered.  They 
desired  to  go  immediately  to  Congo.  Their  support 
was  raised  in  Southern  California  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Waters 
and  the  Pomona  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 
On  November  21st  they  sailed  for  Bolenge,  arriving 
there  January  26,  1909.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Eugene 
Bible  University,  of  Eugene,  Oregon.  He  is  a  car- 
penter, and  just  the  man  for  Congo.  Mrs.  Moon  is  a 
capable  young  woman  and  an  able  helpmeet  for  her 
husband. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hensey  spent  a  busy,  active  term  of 
service,  being  left  with  all  the  responsibility  of  the 
work  at  Bolenge  when  Mr.  Eldred  left  to  open  Longa. 
Besides  the  school  and  printing,  teaching  the  evan- 
gelists, and  the  general  supervision  of  all  the  work, 
Mr.  Hensey  found  time  to  make  a  new  copy  of  all  the 
grammar  notes  to  leave  for  the  others.  He  also  trans- 
lated the  Epistle  of  Philemon,  story  of  Job,  eleven 
chapters  of  Luke,  compiled  a  hymn-book,  prepared  ele- 
mentary lessons  for  the  school  teachers,  besides  many 
other  smaller  helps  for  the  school.  Mrs.  Hensey  was 
in  charge  of  the  orphanage  and  women's  meetings,  and 
assisted  Mr.  Hensey  in  the  school.  After  this  strenu- 
ous term  of  service  they  left  for  home  on  furlough, 
January  6,  1909,  meeting  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moon  on  their 
way  up  the  Congo  Eiver. 


Those  Who  Have  Toiled  at  Bolenge   225 

This  has  left  Dr.  Widdowson  in  charge  at  Bolenge 
with  the  Moons,  Miss  Blackburn,  and  Mr.  Hedges, 
none  of  whom  have  become  proficient  in  the  language 
yet,  but  all  of  whom  are  doing  their  best  to  lighten 
his  burden.  He  is  due  to  come  home  in  October  of 
this  year  and  should  leave  sooner,  as  his  health  is  not 
reliable  and  he  is  having  numerous  small  fevers. 

June  26,  1909,  Dr.  Dye,  accompanied  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Herbert  Smith  and  Mark  ISTjoji,  sailed  for  the 
Congo,  and  hope  to  reach  their  destination  by  the 
middle  of  August.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  native  of  England 
and  is  visiting  his  aged  mother  in  London  on  his  way 
to  Congo.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Bethany  College.  Mrs. 
Smith  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia  and  was  also  a  stu- 
dent at  Bethany.  Their  passage  money  was  raised  by 
the  churches  of  Chicago,  and  they  were  married  and 
ready  to  sail  for  Africa  within  ten  days  after  the  money 
had  been  raised  to  send  them.  Their  hearts  have  been 
in  Africa  for  years,  and  all  their  preparation  has  been 
for  that  service  for  which  they  are  exceptionally  well 
qualified. 

The  author  was  not  sufficiently  recovered  to  return 
with  her  husband  to  Africa,  but  desires  to  join  him 
there  as  soon  as  she  is  able.  She  remains  in  America, 
but  her  heart  is  with  him  and  with  the  Bolenge  work. 

In  September  of  this  year  another  party  will  sail 
for  the  Congo,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  S.  Wilson,  of  Sulphur, 
Ky.,  and  Miss  Edna  Eck,  of  Charleston,  111. 
15 


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BW9383  .2.D99 

Bolenge,  a  story  of  gospel  triumphs  on 

lllirill  nil  lli?H?ir^'J"  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00019  0928 


